[BITList] Wow

Fri Jan 2 07:43:24 GMT 2009

John

I dribbled over this car when I read about it in The Age (melb) As my son
said “it is a couple of months older than you, Dad”. All he will find in my
“shed” is a ’58 Rover 90

Robbo

  _____  

From: bitlist-bounces at lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com
[mailto:bitlist-bounces at lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com] On Behalf Of John
Feltham
Sent: Friday, 2 January 2009 2:09 PM
Subject: [BITList] Wow

Begin forwarded message:

The eccentric uncle who left a garage in his will... containing a £6m
Bugatti supercar 

By
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Repo
rter> DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 2:16 PM on 01st January 2009

*
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1103849/The-eccentric-uncle-left-ga
rage--containing-6m-Bugatti-supercar.html#comments> Comments (1)

*
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1103849/The-eccentric-uncle-left-ga
rage--containing-6m-Bugatti-supercar.html> Add to My Stories

When relatives of Dr Harold Carr were left a garage in his will, they were
stunned to find what could become the world's most expensive car parked
there.

Inside the run-of-the-mill garage, they found a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S
Atalante, one of only 17 made in the world.

The family were shocked by the discovery, and were left open-mouthed when
they were told it could be worth up to £6million at auction.

Superblast from the past: The 1937 Bugatti - one of only 17 made in the
world - stunned Dr Carr's family when they opened the 'run-of-the-mill'
garage

Superblast from the past: The 1937 Bugatti - one of only 17 made in the
world - stunned Dr Carr's family when they opened his garage

Eccentric owner Dr Carr died aged 89 last year, without ever marrying or
having children.

He left his garage to his nieces and nephews, who also found a classic Aston
Martin and a Jaguar E Type inside.

The classic car has now been unveiled as the highlight of Bonham's
Retromobile car show and sale in Paris.

The Bugatti had been left to gather dust for 47 years since its last tax
disc expired in December 1960.

If the Bugatti raises its reserve price tag of £3million in February, it
will have increased 117-fold in value from the £895 Dr Carr paid Jack
Barclays for it in 1955 - making his relatives overnight millionaires.

Other previous owners include Le Mans 24 hour race winner Earl Howe and
Northumberland gentry, Lord Ridley.

His nephew, an engineer from Gosforth, Newcastle, said: 'We just cannot
believe it was there.

'No-one had any idea what kind of cars he had parked in there. We knew he
had some cars, but we had no idea what they were.

'It was a bit of local folklore that he had a Bugatti, but no-one knew for
sure, and certainly no-one knew how much it was worth.

Classic car: The Bugatti Type 57S Atalante

Classic car: The Bugatti Type 57S Atalante

'It's amazing really. It's worth so much because he hasn't used it for 50
years. He just left it parked up.

'It was one of the original supercars. When it was built, it could reach
130mph at a time when other cars could only do 50mph.

'Of course we're delighted and we're going to make sure the money is shared
out among the family. It's a wonderful thing to leave.

'He was a very eccentric old gent - I suppose you could call him a mad
doctor. All the children would laugh at him in the street when he tinkered
with his cars because he wore a piece of rubber tube round his head to stop
the oil getting in his hair.

'But he was always such a generous man. Because he kept himself to himself,
not many people knew that, but we all knew how amazing he was.'

A severe obsessive-compulsive, Harry became increasingly reclusive in his
later years, only letting his nephew into the house.

When the property was cleared, dozens of notes from would-be buyers of the
French supercar were found inside.

'People must have known because he got letters from all over the country,'
his nephew said.

'He got notes pushed through his door, people travelled from all over to try
and convince him to sell the car.'

Inside the 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, which could get up to £6million
at auction

Inside the 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, which could get up to £6million
at auction

The Bugatti 57S is understood to be only one of 17 ever made, with at least
four believed to belong to Musee Nationale de L'Automobile in Mulhouse,
France.

In recent years, similar but less sought-after models have sold privately
for millions of pounds.

If the car reaches reaches top estimates, it could rocket into the history
books as the most expensive car ever sold at auction.

James Knight, International Head of Bonhams' motoring department said: 'I
have known of this Bugatti for a number of years and, like a select group of
others, hadn't dared divulge its whereabouts to anyone.

'It is absolutely one of the last great barn discoveries, and we at Bonhams
are honoured to have been selected to handle its sale.'

For Harry's nephew, the wondercar is a fitting legacy for Harry to have
left.

'It would have been boring and so unlike him to have just left normal
things,' he said.

'It's much better he will be remembered for something spectacular like
this.'

Other previous Bugatti owners include Le Mans 24 hour race winner Earl Howe
and Northumberland gentry, Lord Ridley

Other previous Bugatti owners include Le Mans 24 hour race winner Earl Howe
and Northumberland gentry, Lord Ridley

'One of the most important motor cars in the world'

Dr Carr's vehicle even has the original chassis, engine, drive train and
body and a low odometer reading of 26,284.

Bugatti Type 57S, chassis no. 57502, was completed at the Bugatti works on 5
May, 1937 sporting two-seat Atalante coupe coachwork.

It was ordered new by Earl Howe, who had had a long association with Ettore
Bugatti and his machines, developing a close friendship with him and his son
Jean, having raced their Grand Prix motor cars.

Earl Howe had the Bugatti for eight years and added his own bumpers,
rear-view  mirrors on the A-pillars and a luggage rack, which it still
retains to this day.

The car was sold to a Mr J P Tingay in 1947.

Mr M H Ferguson acquired the Bugatti from Tingay in 1950 and by 1954 it
formed part of Lord Ridley's collection.

Dr Harold Carr then acquired it in 1955 from Lord Ridley.

Dr Carr drove the car for the first few years but in the early 1960s it was
parked in his garage where it remained for nearly 50 years, until Dr Carr's
death in 2007.

James Knight said: 'The Atalante is incredibly original and, although she
requires restoration, it is "restoration" in the true sense of the word.

"From my perspective, save for some of the interior, all original parts can
be restored or conserved in order to maintain originality.

'It offers a truly rewarding project to the new owner - who will join a
select list of distinguished owners to play such an integral part in
bringing this wonderful motor car back to life.

'It has all the finest attributes any connoisseur collector could ever seek
in one of the ultimate road-going sports cars from the golden era of the
1930s.'

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