The one with a Bugatti worth millions of dollars left to us. A British family is clearing out the estate left by an uncle. In the garage of the home was a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante. Only 17 of them were made (an amazing 15 of them survive). The car is worth many millions of dollars and is going to be auctioned off soon.
When eccentric doctor and compulsive hoarder Harold Carr died at the age of 89, his relatives faced a daunting task to sort through his possessions.
His home was packed with piles of medical machinery, 1,500 beer steins, thousands of receipts and even a World War Two spy drone.
But all the effort became worth it when they opened the door of his garage – and struck gold.
Inside they found a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, one of only 17 ever made.
The historic automobile with only 26,284 miles on the clock still has 99 per cent of its original parts.
It will be sold in Paris next month and is strongly tipped to surpass the £4.7million world record for a car at auction.
Auctioneers have put a reserve price of £3million on a two-seater described as one of the ‘ultimate road-going sports cars from the golden era of the 1930s’.
And despite the credit crunch it could fetch anything up to £6million.
My only uncle is not crazy (nor rich enough to be called “eccentric”) and he does not have a Bugatti in his garage. Darn it. I did know a family that had a ne’er do well brother with a 1932 Ford V8 stored in their garage. It was in pieces, a project car at best. Not even close to being in the same league.
And I got all worked up over a 58 Packard that was owned by a little old lady. I bought the house in 93, the Packard was gone. bummer
Indeed. This is the type of thing a guy dreams about. Nice to see it happen once in a while in the real world.
Small potatoes, indeed, was a deal giving an American a customized 1919 Turcat-Mery once owned by a Bourbon duke and specially customized for him. It was a mere $927,518. See http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/394184_classiccar31.html
The extra problem is that the French government just declared it a cultural treasure and wants it back. The car, not the Duke.