Rare vintage cars sat gathering dust in barn for over four decades sell for 10 TIMES their original value
TWO rare classic cars that were stored in a rural barn for 40 years have sold for thousands of pounds at an auction.
The vintage motors had been hidden away in Framlingham, Suffolk, before they emerged after the death of their owner.
A Talbot Darracq from 1921 and a 1952 Mercedes Benz 220 Type A convertible have sold for nearly £50,000 combined at a recent auction in Colchester, Essex.
The green Talbot – which was purchased in 1967 for £750 – sold for £10,500, while the white Merc fetched a cool £37,000.
A spokesperson for Reeman Dansie, the expert auction house who handled the sale, said: “The left hand drive Mercedes was originally purchased by the late owner, whilst he was serving in the British Army in Germany, with the much loved car travelling with him during his military career.
“It also saw life in Cyprus and the Middle East, before he undertook an epic journey across the continent to bring the car back to Blighty.
“The 1921 Talbot – Darracq was purchased from C. J. Bendall Ltd in Hitchin in February 1967 at a cost of £750.00.
“The original purchase receipt and cheque remains with a photograph of the late owner and his wife standing proudly beside their new purchase.
“We understand from the late owner’s family that the cars were last running in the 1980s and have remained preserved in his barn for the last four decades.”
This comes as a classic Jaguar E-Type and a Rolls-Royce were recently re-discovered together in a barn – having been tucked away for nearly four decades.
The iconic vehicles, which both require complete restorations, were put up for sale at the Oulton Park Gold Cup courtesy of Hampson Auctions.
According to the auctioneers, the E-Type, which is from 1970, was a 21st birthday gift to the seller’s late husband and was used by the family until 1986.
An attempted theft while it was parked outside a Woolworths shop prompted the owner to store it away for safekeeping.
Elsewhere, an ultra-rare classic art deco Bentley fitted with a hand-wound clock could be yours for a whopping £300,000.
The Bentley Mark VI, the only one among 4,000 to have its coachwork completed by Mulliners of Birmingham, a renowned British coachbuilder from Bordesley Green, underwent a major paintwork change in 2010.