In one of the most significant finds from a barn in history, a collection containing 60 cars, with some rare and could be worth millions, were found hidden away in a French estate.
The vehicles were from the collection of Roger Baillon, a truck manufacturing tycoon in France who expanded his collection of cars through the 1950s until the 1970s.
Baillon sold half of his collection when his business plunged into bankruptcy in 1978, leaving the rest of the cars in the barn on his French estate. The vehicles have been untouched since then.
The massive discovery was made by a group of vehicle specialists from Artcurial, an auction house in France. The team heard about the supposed collection of vehicles from a family friend of the Baillon family and went to investigate the rumor.
Among the vehicles that were left in the barn are a Bugatti 57 Ventoux, a Packard Super Eight Convertible, a H6B cabriolet Millon-Guiet, a Hispano Suiza and a Delahaye Type 43 coupé chauffeur.
Also included in the finds was a Talbot Lago T26 Cabriolet Saoutchik that was once under the possession of Egypt's King Farouk.
Many vehicles from the collection are unique and custom-designed by history's top coachbuilders.
"I have to say that when we arrived here, we found ourselves overcome with emotion," said Artcurial Motorcars managing director Matthieu Lamoure.
"Probably much like Lord Carrington and Howard Carter on being the first person for centuries to enter Tutankhamen's tomb. It really was a case of waking up Sleeping Beauty," Lamoure added.
However, unlike the treasures of King Tut which were preserved in mostly pristine condition, most vehicles that were found were kept in spots below simple roofs, leaving them exposed to the harsh elements. All of the cars underwent wear and tear from the long storage time.
The jewel of the find, a Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spider, was stored within a garage though. This allowed the vehicle to remain in good condition compared to the rest of the vehicles, despite being buried for decades under mounds of publications.
Only 37 of the car were ever made. A similar Ferrari, which was in mint condition, was sold through an auction held in August, selling for $15 million.
The deceased Baillon once hoped to be able to put up a museum to house his collection. However, he passed away a decade ago, with his son following him only last year. Now that the vehicles have been discovered and their value assessed, the collection will be showcased before being auctioned off at the yearly Retromobile Salon, which will be held in February in Paris.
