60 Rusting Classics Worth £12million Found on French Farm
A treasure trove of 60 rusting classic cars worth £12million has been found rotting in a French farm garage for 50 years
The cars were collected from the 1950s to the 1970s by entrepreneur Roger Baillon, who dreamt of restoring them to their former glory and displaying them in a museum. However, his plans were dashed as his business struggled, forcing Mr. Baillon to sell about 50 of the vehicles.
Since then his collection has sat dormant in makeshift corrugated iron shelters and outbuildings on the farm.
Mr. Baillon died about 10 years ago and his son, Jacques, who inherited the collection, died last year. Mr. Baillon’s grandchildren had no idea of the extent of the collection, not realize the classic cars were worth so much, when they contacted the auctioneers at Artcurial Motorcars who will be auctioning them at Retromobile in Paris on February 6, 2015.
The collection includes a Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California SWB, one of 36 ever made including one owned by Chris Evans and a Talbot-Lago previously owned by extravagant Egyptian King Farouk.
There is a 1956 Maserati A6G Gran Sports with coachwork by prominent designer Frua, one of just three in the world, which is estimated to sell for just under £1million.
The auctioneers’ greatest discovery was that of a 1961 Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spider with covered headlights, which was hidden beneath piles of newspapers. The car was previously owned by French actors Gerard Blain and Alain Delon, who was photographed in it with Jane Fonda and Shirley MacLaine. It is expected to attract attention from Ferrari collectors with an estimate of £9.5million.
Here is a link to the full article on the collection, a complete list of the cars and a wonderfully produced video showing how they we found in their original state. The haunting music really emphasizes the neglect.