Some people around the country, and world, have the luxury of an extra car or two lying around not in use. Scattered Autos sit unused here and there inside barns, sheds or garages, undiscovered and in near mint condition. It is rare that one of those cars is worth a fortune, but in some instances “worth a fortune” can be considered an understatement.
At the Bonhams Retromobile auction in Paris (Feb. 7) a 1937 Bugatti 57S Atalante Coupe was sold for about $4.4 million U.S. dollars (3,417,500 euros). The car was discovered recently inside the garage of Dr. Harold Carr, a classic car aficionado. The classic auto has been sitting in the garage for nearly 50 years. Carr apparently parked the 57S in his garage in the early 1960s, and it was not discovered until 2007 after Carr’s death.
The value of the car was due to its rare existence. Bugatti only produced 17 copies total of the 57S coupe. This particular model was owned previously by the British Racing Drivers Club president, Earl Howe.
According to sources, the auto remained disassembled most of the time it spent inside the garage, as Carr was planning to rebuild and spruce up the engine. Due to the fact that the engine hasn’t been started in nearly fifty years, the new owner obviously will have to strip and rebuild the engine as well. The entire automotive body, however, is in pristine condition; not a scratch to be seen.
Unfortunately, the new owner has not been named for obvious reasons.
As is also obvious, findings like this are just as rare as the Bugatti 57S Atalante Coupe, but they can happen. So, the next time you find yourself passing by a relative’s old barn, or garage, remember: it wouldn’t hurt to take a look!
