Just when I think all the world's "barn finds" have been found (or the barns converted for trendy living spaces), along comes another one. Yet few, if any, were as spectacular as what the nephews and nieces of Harold Carr discovered when they opened the doors of a dusty old garage left to them by their uncle. The astonished relatives discovered a treasure-trove of classic cars, including a 1937 Bugatti, one of only seventeen in the world. The Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, which had spent decades parked alongside other classics, including a Jaguar E-type and an Aston-Martin, will be the highlight of Bonhams' Retro-mobile show in Paris. It could become the most expensive car ever sold at auction.

One wonders how such a car could be left untouched since 1960, when it was last driven with a mileage of only 26,284. But Doctor Carr was obviously an eccentric, "a severe obsessive compulsive who never married or had children." Even his nephew described him as "a mad doctor." The Bugatti was delivered to Earl Howe, first president of the British Racing Drivers' Club and a winner of the 24 Hour Le Mans race, soon after it was completed on May 5, 1937. He kept the car for eight years, after which it changed hands a couple of times before Doctor Carr bought it from Lord Ridley, a member of the Northumberland gentry, in 1955.

There is more, much more, to the story than what I've related here. For the rest I refer you to this delightful article in the TimesOnLine, brought to my attention by friend and contributor Nigel Matthews. Don't miss it if you still have dreams of someday opening that barn door and finding more than a few bales of hay and a vintage pitchfork.