Forgotten Cars on a Farm

[johnboy]

http://news.sky.com/story/1421156/class ... p-for-sale

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Very similar to my front garden...

1x Skoda 'Cobic' Van, was fine when parked up and is being used as a shed!
1x Vauxhall Astra Mk IV, a complete runner when parked up, but now not in use (£200 anyone!!).
1x Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, basket case, not in use.
1x Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, I do use.

...and when I go home, another Astra Mk IV is parked outside on the road...!

Ghosty.

[mike]

http://news.sky.com/story/1421156/class ... p-for-sale

Interestingly Johnboy. Thanks for the info.

[Fox]

I've been living near the Baillon collection... without knowing its existence !

[ford_a_30]

"This is surely the last time that such a discovery will be made, anywhere in the world. What is so special here is the number of cars, the range and the quality and pedigree of the models."

Doubt it. Although not common place, these "collectors", "hoarders" is a better term, are passing away and these cars and collections are coming back to light.

It kills me when someone does this sort of thing. These cars were slowly being destroyed not because someone "loved them to much" to get rid of them, but because they had such little regard for them to see to their care. It's like a puppy folks, if you cant take care of it, get rid of it so someone else can.
I have owned 150+ cars thus far. Most of them were bought from people who weren't actually trying to sell. Rather they were just hanging on to them for no reason,not using them, not taking care of them, no realistic game plan to fix them.
I have been working for 6 months to get a 1961 VW beetle cloth sunroof bug from such a hoarder. It has sat in a garage for decades, and yet rather then sell it to someone who will put it on the road and put some money in his pocket at the same time, he chooses to let it sit there, slowly rotting into trash.
At my house right now is a 71 Westfalia VW camper, a 74 beetle, a 67 beetle, a 74 Karmann Ghia, a 47 Ford sedan, 2 motorcycles, two delivery vehicles, and daily drivers for my wife and I. The Ghia is my sons restoration project (completed restoration estimated for July 1 if the funds hold out) and everything else will take you anywhere you want to go, right now. Within the last year or two I sold a 64 Pontiac convertible, 53 Ford sedan, 55 Chevrolet wagon, 30 Ford Pick-up, 70 beetle, 08 Caddy Escalade at least. I am not at all opposed to having more cars then one can drive, just hate to see people turn beautiful cars into trash by letting this sort of thing happen to them.

[kwakers]

Being a Hoarder myself, most of these very notable cars in this collection were bought at a time when they were neglected and destined to be cut for parts, or possibly even crushed in a wreckers yard. IIn the early 1950s, what are now million dollar Dusenburg Model Js were bought off used car lots for $250 because there was no interest in them at that time. Good motors for them were cut out of 'Parts Cars' from 5 states away to get some of them running again.
I am sure most of the cars this gentleman had inside his Museum were sold off when his trucking business went bad, and those found here are only what he considered his 'parts cars' in 1955-1965 when they were bought for peanuts. If he did save 10 of his favorites here, they were the ones he preserved under that tin roofing. Hidden in clear view as they say.
The 'Classic Era' antique car hobby was just beginning to come to life in the 1950s, so any of these cars mentioned, including the Bugatti, could be found unrestored for cheap money. Brand new cars were 2000 U.S., so who would run an old oil-burner and fuel guzzler that no parts would ever be available to fix. These mentioned were just 'outdated used cars' to most people, and were only 30 years old or less. That would be equivalent to a troublesome 1985 Auto in today's market. You must remember that the interest at that time was in buying and preserving Edwardian and pre-1905 London to Brighten Cars such as Lord Beauleau had in his English collection. Without such Hoarders (just like myself) who recognized these orphan cars for their rarity, and not necessarily their value or condition, these important cars would have been destroyed when they still had little market value.
The Auctioneer's expectations seem very high on this group, but with so little information on all 60 models, there must be more like the three on those pedestals that will be offered for sale. Thanks for the very interesting story Johnboy, it is definitely a sale to keep an eye on for we antique car guys. That 2nd Rolls Silver Shadow of Ghosty's may be another man's restoration dream in 20 years, & they too will wonder why he could not have shedded all of his 'valuable' parts/project cars in 2015......( Chris, It took me 5 years to buy a sinking 1920 Auto that had been stored outdoors since 1959 (from an old dealer/collector/hoarder just like myself), so I understand your views and gripes about US... I also have a 1960s sliding roof Bug project I would give you if we lived closer. I have had it for 9 years now, ever since I saved it from being crushed in a farmyard full of projects. kwakers

[ford_a_30]

Kwackers,
I mean no disrespect to any of us Hoarders. I myself have been found guilty of such things from time to time. All car guys have brought home a project that seemed great at the time but once reality set in things become different. I have owned cars that were strictly for parts, and I have sold projects at a loss when I thought they had a better chance with the next guy. I have even been guilty of allowing a car to leave my care in worse shape then I got it.
Like you I typically have a plan though, saving these cars for a time when they will become valuable to someone again. I have owned many cars that I planned only to turn over again to someone who would do something with it. Some of these cars were only going to be parts cars, it took 3 46-48 Fords to build mine, but 1 car was saved from the 3 to carry on. Perhaps the 10 cars he kept in the building were saved with the same goal. But the other 50, many of which were left out in the elements to rot, were not part of the same plan. For those there was no plan, that is what gets me. There is nothing wrong with having 60 cars. I wish I could. What gets me is 60 abandoned cars being kept prisoner. At least they are being liberated now.
In the end they are his cars and he can do as he wishes with them. Most people see cars like toasters, but this guy was a collector, so I would have expected better. I see myself more as a caretaker for the autos I currently posses and therefore have a distain for those who would prefer they dissolve back into the earth rather than be saved.
As for your offer, New York really isn't that far away.....

[nickjones]

The blue Ferrari California Spider in this collection just sold for 14 million euros -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31177813

[kwakers]

I see that is 10.5 million pounds for that single Ferrari convertible. The Auction estimate of 12 million pounds for the whole collection now seems way underpriced compared to my thoughts of 2 days ago....... There are many other notable cars involved, so the world seems enamored with the story as well as the cars. The deep pockets in our hobby now seem empty in comparison
When our 14 inches of N.Y. snow clears chris, you might have a project waiting here......
I have saved 1000s of 'Parts' cars from destruction literally and factually in my lifetime Chris, so your comments are noted as praise rather than criticism by me. Many cars have deteriorated in my possession as well, but they have now survived a few more years because of people like us. kwakers