Rare 1937 Bugatti car found in English garage
- Thread starter The Sync
- Start date
How did his relatives not know hs had this car? I admit that I dont know much about old cars or really care about them but thats pretty damn cool.
That is awesome, ugly, but still awesome. I'd love to uncover something crazy like that. Hell I'd never bring myself to sell it though. That thing shouldn't be restored, as good of shape as it looks it belongs in a musem just like it is.
Rare 1937 Bugatti Supercar Found
STORY
LONDON – It was the equivalent of finding an old Picasso or an unknown Beatles tape hidden away in your uncle's attic.
Relatives of Dr. Harold Carr found an extremely rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante — a Holy Grail for car collectors — as they were going through his belongings after his death.
The dusty two-seater, unused since 1960, didn't look like much in the garage in Gosforth, near Newcastle in northern England.
But only 17 were ever made, and when it's cleaned up and auctioned in Paris next month, experts believe it will fetch at least 3 million pounds ($4.3 million) and possibly much more.
Bugatti once represented the height of motoring achievement. The supercar was so ahead of its time it could go up to 130 mph (209 kph) when most other cars topped out about 50 mph (80 kph).
This particular car is even more valuable because it was originally owned by Earl Howe, a prominent British race car driver, and because its original equipment is intact, so it can restored without relying on replacement parts.
"It has all the finest attributes any connoisseur collector could ever seek, in one of the ultimate road-going sports cars from the golden era of the 1930s," said James Knight, head of the international motoring department at Bonhams, which will auction the car Feb. 7.
Knight and a small number of Bugatti enthusiasts knew of Carr's proudest possession, but not the eight relatives who inherited Carr's estate.
The orthopedic surgeon, who died at age 89, was described by relatives as an eccentric hoarder who never threw anything out. He also left behind an Aston Martin, which was sold, and a Jaguar sports car that was scrapped because it was in such poor condition.
The Bugatti marque is famed for its speed and handling and was a frequent race winner in the 1920s and 1930s. The 57S Atalante was one of its most successful models, each one made by hand with unique details.
The company founded in 1909 by Ettore Bugatti collapsed in the 1940s after a long string of racing victories.
The rights to the legendary Bugatti name were purchased in 1998 by Volkswagen, which has built the Bugatti Veyron, one of the world's fastest and most expensive cars.
STORY
LONDON – It was the equivalent of finding an old Picasso or an unknown Beatles tape hidden away in your uncle's attic.
Relatives of Dr. Harold Carr found an extremely rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante — a Holy Grail for car collectors — as they were going through his belongings after his death.
The dusty two-seater, unused since 1960, didn't look like much in the garage in Gosforth, near Newcastle in northern England.
But only 17 were ever made, and when it's cleaned up and auctioned in Paris next month, experts believe it will fetch at least 3 million pounds ($4.3 million) and possibly much more.
Bugatti once represented the height of motoring achievement. The supercar was so ahead of its time it could go up to 130 mph (209 kph) when most other cars topped out about 50 mph (80 kph).
This particular car is even more valuable because it was originally owned by Earl Howe, a prominent British race car driver, and because its original equipment is intact, so it can restored without relying on replacement parts.
"It has all the finest attributes any connoisseur collector could ever seek, in one of the ultimate road-going sports cars from the golden era of the 1930s," said James Knight, head of the international motoring department at Bonhams, which will auction the car Feb. 7.
Knight and a small number of Bugatti enthusiasts knew of Carr's proudest possession, but not the eight relatives who inherited Carr's estate.
The orthopedic surgeon, who died at age 89, was described by relatives as an eccentric hoarder who never threw anything out. He also left behind an Aston Martin, which was sold, and a Jaguar sports car that was scrapped because it was in such poor condition.
The Bugatti marque is famed for its speed and handling and was a frequent race winner in the 1920s and 1930s. The 57S Atalante was one of its most successful models, each one made by hand with unique details.
The company founded in 1909 by Ettore Bugatti collapsed in the 1940s after a long string of racing victories.
The rights to the legendary Bugatti name were purchased in 1998 by Volkswagen, which has built the Bugatti Veyron, one of the world's fastest and most expensive cars.
DELETE THREAD ( SORRY ) :bash::bash:;-)
It probably won't be.
If you've ever watched the show Chasing Classic Cars you might have seen a similar car that they found in a guys garage that hadn't been driven since the early 60's. It too was a 1930's Bugatti. Once sold at auction, the only thing the new owner did was respray the fenders and the rest was brought back, even the 80 year old leather! You'd be amazed at what just cleaning up a car thats been in dry storage can do for the overall appearance of the vehicle. They're only original once.
Great Cars | BARN FIND BUGATTI BRINGS IN BIG BUCKS | , , Auction, Car, Bugatti
Damn I love them oldies. I would Rather a Deusenberg but wouldn't kick the Bugatti out of the garage.
I'd love to own one just for the Grand Prix heritage Bughatti's carry. The best book, bar-none, that I've ever read was Grand Prix Saboteurs. It's a non-fictional book about Grand Prix drivers who served in WW2 as British secret agents. It mainly details Willy Grover's efforts in the war. Grover was the most successfully GP driver of the 20's and first Monaco Grand Prix winner. To read about what these guys gave up to serve their countries was mind blowing. Could you imagine Michael Shumacher giving everything up in the pinnacle of his career to become a secret agent? The fact that something Hollywood couldn't even dream up is all documented and true makes it even more interesting. Worth the read IMO.
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