A collection of classic cars found buried beneath piles of magazines and junk in a barn in France has sold at auction for over £20 million. The star of the show, an ultra-rare Ferrari 250 GT, sold for £11.8 million on its own.
The “treasure trove” of 59 cars had been hidden amongst mounds of newspapers, magazines, books and other assorted rubbish amongst the garages and outbuildings of a French farm. Hailed by many as likely to be the last great barn find of such high-value cars, the collection was created by entrepreneur Roger Baillon during the years from 1950-1970.
Roger Baillon’s car collection, found amongst piles of dust and junk in a French barn
The Telegraph
Originally a haulier by profession, the cars were surrounded by assorted trucks on his land. His dream of continuing his collection came to an end in the 1970s though when his haulage business became entangled in financial issues. Selling 50 of the cars, the rest were confined to basic corrugated iron shelters. They were rediscovered late last year by his grandchildren.
All of the cars have now sold including the prized centrepiece of the collection. The auction was conducted by Artcurial Motorcars.
The Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder that was part of Roger Baillon’s car collection, found amongst piles of dust and junk in a French barn
The Telegraph
One of just 37 cars built, the Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spyder with covered headlights had previously been considered lost as it was not accounted for in the Ferrari Register. It sold to an unknown telephone bidder for a total after fees of £11.8 million. It is in amazingly good condition considering the state in which it was found.
One of just three cars in the world, a Maserati A6G Gran Sports with Frua coachwork raised £1.4milllion and a Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport also got £1.2million. The lowest price paid was just £5,000 for a 1987 Lancia Thema.
Car specialist Matthieu Lamoure who helped the grandchildren uncover the extent of the find said
“These sorts of finds do not happen often. I think you go into this profession for discoveries like this; it really is a treasure trove. No doubt a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. I have to say that when we discovered the extent of the collection we found ourselves overcome with emotion.”
Many of the cars require extensive work to be performed on them. After being stored under layers of dust for decades, rust and rot are prominent in several, especially the older ones. The barn find is one of the most significant for many years owing to the extraordinary circumstances that the cars have been found in.
