Regular readers will be familiar with the concept of a “barn find”: a classic car that’s been long since forgotten in a barn, garage, or some dusty warehouse somewhere, only to be discovered decades later – often in need of a little cosmetic TLC, but mechanically intact.
Well this is sort of like that. Only instead of one car, there’s a dozen. And instead of being left in a barn, this treasure trove of vintage automobiles was discovered in a castle in Switzerland. And now the whole lot is going up for auction.
The 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster might be enough to make headlines all on its own, valued at €600,000-800,000. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg in this case. It’s joined by a 1921 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Double Phaeton – the type Autocar called “the best car in the world” at its time – valued at the same as the Mercedes.
There’s also a 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II (€80-120k), a Lamborghini Espada (€70-100k), a Maserati Ghibli SS (€100-150k) and Indy America (€50-80k), and a 1980 Aston Martin V8 Volante (€90-140k). The list goes on to include a 1981 Mercedes 500 SLC, ’73 Mustang, ’67 Maserati Quattroporte MkII, and a pair of Jaguar E-Types – all valued in the tens of thousand.
They’ve all been consigned to Bonhams, which will auction them off at its upcoming sale during the Spa Classic in Belgium late next month. And you can be sure that collectors will be jumping at the opportunity to add these rolling time capsules to their own garages.
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