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French auction house unearths rare auto treasures

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Ray-MR2
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2014/12/27 13:41:15 (permalink)
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French auction house unearths rare auto treasures

As Matthieu Lamoure, Managing Director of leading French auction house Artcurial Motorcars said on the unearthing of a forgotten collection of 60 unsullied classic cars spanning from the early 1900s to the 1970s, the emotion evoked was "much like that experienced by Lord Carrington and Howard Carter entering Tutankhamun's tomb. Not since the revelation of the Schlumpf Collection in Mulhouse has such a group of emblematic automobiles been disclosed and what is more, in such original condition!"

The collection was discovered in the west of France under makeshift corrugated iron shelters and various outbuildings where it had lain dormant for 50 years. It includes an incredible selection of original-condition classic automobiles including a Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spider once owned by French actor Alain Delon (and featuring in photographs with Jane Fonda and Shirley MacLaine), a Talbot Lago T26 cabriolet once owned by King Farouk, and three 1956 Maserati A6G Gran Sports.

The Ferrari 250GT was actually discovered under a pile of newspapers and is one of only 37 examples built. Although every other model had been carefully documented by historians, this particular car's whereabouts were unknown until the discovery.

Put together in the 1950s by entrepreneur Roger Ballion, who wanted to preserve pre-war automobiles in museum surroundings, the cars in the collection remain in undisturbed condition after being hidden away for five decades.

Although car enthusiasts dream of discovering undisturbed treasures, they rarely experience them in real life. This one is so exceptional that Artcurial expert Pierre Novlikoff enthused: "Never again, anywhere in the world, will such a treasure be unearthed! These sleeping Beauties are clothed in the precious patina of time gone by. A collection like this can't fail to arouse the passions of those who love automobiles, as well as art and history enthusiasts."

The roll call of famous marques is remarkable: Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, Talbot-Lago, Panhard-Levassor, Maserati, Ferrari, Delahaye and Delage are all represented, along with many famous coachbuilders including Million-Guiet, Chapron and Saoutchik.
 
The cars went undercover after Baillon suffered a business setback in the 1970s and was forced to reduce the size of his original collection by some 50 vehicles.

The collection will go under the Artcurial hammer in the first part of the traditional sale at Retromobile Salon in Paris on February 6, 2015. Estimates of each car's value range from 500 Euros to several million Euros.
 
http://www.motoring.com.a...e-auto-treasures-48093
 
 
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    Ray-MR2
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    Re: French auction house unearths rare auto treasures 2014/12/27 14:52:18 (permalink)
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    The cars were collected from the 1950s to the 1970s by entrepreneur Roger Baillon, who dreampt of restoring them to their former glory and displaying them in a museum

    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, calling in car specialists Matthieu Lamoure and Pierre Novikoff of auctioneers Artcurial Motorcars to estimate its value.
     
    They found 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 $2 million.

    But 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, and is expected to attract attention from Ferrari collectors with an estimate of $19 million


    Only 36 of the particular model of Ferrari were ever made, including the one in the barn and another bought by Chris Evans in 2008 for an estimated $11 million.




    post edited by Ray-MR2 - 2014/12/28 17:25:16
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