With the rare and collectible nature of classic cars the price is only going in one direction, upwards. Unrestored, original examples of particular cars can fetch eye watering amounts.
In the last couple of days, news of a staggering barn find in France has occurred known as the Baillon collection.
Discovered only 3 months ago, 100 cars from the 30s, 40s and 50s and 60s have laid undisturbed for 40 years. The barn find is described as the King Tut of barn finds, containing 100 cars rare European cars, 60 of which go on sale with Artcurial Motorcars in the near future to be restored and the other 40 will be sold for spares by the selling family.
Examples from past French coachbuilder’s including Chapron, Saoutchick and Million-Guiet were discovered, in addition to an ultra-rare and extremely valuable Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider estimated between €9.5m and €12m, discovered under piles of newspapers. The Ferrari has been missing for decades, unaccounted for.
Rare Ferrari 250 California under old newspapers
Rare Ferrari 250 California out of the barn
Only 55 Ferrari 250 GTs were ever made, 37 having the covered headlights found on this particular example. The Ferrari was once owned by Alain Delon and appeared on camera being driven around the Côte d’Azur with Jane Fonda, while filming Les Félins.
Pierre Novikoff, a senior motoring specialist from the Artcurial auction house reported “Never again, anywhere in the world will such a treasure be unearthed”.
A 1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Berlinetta Gran Sport Frua is expected to sell for €1.5m.
Other notable cars include: Bugatti 57 Ventoux, Hispano-Suiza, Panhard et Levassor, Delahaye, Delage, an old Porsche 356 SC ex-Sonauto, Ferrari 308 GTS i, Ferrari 400 and a Ferrari Mondial 3.2 cabriolet.
Classic cars in various states
The cars were collected and owned by the grandfather of the family selling the cars, a haulage magnate. At the peak of his collection, there were 200 cars but he had to sell about 100 cars due to financial difficulties of the company which went bust in 1978. After this, the remaining cars were forced into barns and makeshift shelters with corrugated iron sheet roofs and sides. Fortunately, the most valuable Ferrari California has been kept in very good condition as one of the few cars in a brick barn. A mint condition Ferrari 250 GT California can sell for €15 million.
To car enthusiasts, it is pleasant to see cars being given a chance to be restored to prime condition and enjoyed once again. It is always surprising how such large collections of valuable cars can go for such long time periods without being touched. If the family did not know the barn existed, it will surely be a welcomed surprise.
A separate YouTube video filming all the cars is below:
The 60 cars, including the Ferrari 250 California, are to be auctioned by Artcurial motorcars in the first part of its Retromobile Salon auction, on the 6th February 2015 in Paris.
Photos and source by: Classic Driver
Full list of cars below:
Amilcar C6 berline
Amilcar CGS
Ariès coach
Auto Union cabriolet
Avions Voisin C15
Avions Voisin limousine C15
Avions Voisin C7 par Gallé
Ballot 8 Cyl limousine
Barré torpédo
Berliet coupé chauffeur
Berliet Type VIGB 10HP Taxi Landaulet
Bugatti 57 Ventoux
Citroën Trèfle
Delage D6
Delage D8 coach
Delahaye 135 cabriolet Faget Varnet
Delahaye 135 coach Chapron
Delahaye 235 coach Chapron
Delahaye 235 coach Chapron
Delahaye 235 coupé Chapron
Delahaye Type 43 coupé chauffeur
Delahaye GFA 148 L
Delahaye Type 43 camionnette
Delaunay Belleville limousine VL8
Facel Vega Excellence
Ferrari 250 GT California SWB
Ferrari 308 GTS i
Ferrari 400
Ferrari Mondial 3.2L cabriolet
Hispano Suiza H6B cabriolet Millon-Guiet
Hotchkiss cabriolet
Innocenti S cabriolet
Jaguar type S 3.4 L
La Buire 12 A
Lagonda LG45 cabriolet
Lancia Thema 8.32
Lorraine Dietrich B3/6 plateau
Lorraine Dietrich B3/6 torpédo par Grumman
Lorraine-Dietrich torpédo
Maserati A6G 2000 berlinetta Grand Sport Frua
Mathis cabriolet
Mathis FOH
Packard cabriolet Super Eight
Panhard-Levassor Dynamic berline X77
Panhard-Levassor Dynamic coupé X76
Panhard-Levassor limousine X72
Porsche 356 SC ex-Sonauto
Renault AX torpédo
Renault Vivastella cabriolet
Sandford cyclecar 3 roues
Singer Cabriolet
Talbot Lago 11/6 cabriolet
Talbot Lago Baby cabriolet
Talbot Lago Baby cabriolet
Talbot Lago Cadette 11
Talbot Lago coach
Talbot Lago T26 coach
Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport coupé Saoutchik
Talbot Lago T26 Record coupé Saoutchik
Talbot Lago T26 cabriolet Saoutchik ex-Roi Farouk
What do you think of the cars discovered? Is there anything better to find than an original Ferrari 250 GT California Spider?
