A treasure trove of 60 rare cars has recently been discovered in France. Here's how they came to light after almost 40 years

A picture tells a thousand words, apparently, but the images on this page can only hint at the importance of a barn-find collection in deepest France, containing about 60 rare cars worth an estimated 12-15 million euros (£9.4 million to £11.8 million) that had lain undisturbed for almost 40 years.

Discovered only three months ago, the collection is being auctioned at the Artcurial sale in Paris on February 6 during the annual Retromobile classic car show and represents perhaps the last opportunity for collectors to acquire and restore some of the finest cars from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

Not only it it a historically important collection of the French coachbuilder's art, with examples from Chapron, Saoutchick and Million-Guiet, there's also the small matter of a Ferrari California SWB discovered semi-submerged under bundles of old magazines.

The Indiana Joneses of the classic car world in this instance were Pierre Novikoff, motor car specialist at auction house Artcurial, and his colleague Matthieu Lamoure, the managing director of Artcurial Motorcars.

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Novikoff related the story of how they came to hear of the mysterious collection, and their reaction when they saw it for the first time and realised the depth and breadth of treasures slowly being enveloped by the undergrowth.

The collection was amassed by a French haulier who also had a passion for cars and whose dream was to conserve the heritage of pre-war automobiles in museum surroundings. According to Novikoff, in the late Forties he designed his own truck, then in 1951 he exhibited a roadster that he had designed and built at the Paris motor show. Between 1953 and 1966 he amassed about 200 cars, all of them rare in some way. The oldest in the collection is a 1912 Renault four-cylinder, the most modern a Ferrari Mondial that was probably the family runaround.

"The discovery of these cars is actually due to a friend of the [selling] family. The crazy thing is it [the collection] was unknown by motor car specialists."

"When they mentioned a Ferrari California SWB I thought it was a joke. Then she gave me his name – it was one of the oldest collectors in France."

The rare Ferrari California SWB, among rusty trucks, after it was extricated from its hiding place Credit: Artcurial

After the mid-60s the collector started to amass other vehicles such as trains. During the 1970s, before he could carry out the necessary restoration work, his dream was shattered when his business suffered a setback and he was forced to sell about 100 cars.

His firm went bankrupt in 1978 and he was forced to sell about half of his collection, which still left another 100 jammed together in barns and makeshift shelters with corrugated iron roofs and sides.

The 60 cars being sold by Artcurial at the Retromobile show are the best preserved of the remaining 100, Novikoff says. "About 40 cars were too tired, so the family will probably try to sell them for spares".

"The California is a very important car because it was unknown. Some people knew a rare Ferrari existed, but no one knew it was a California," said Novikoff. "The collector bought it in 1971 and it was actually the car that [French actor] Alain Delon bought in 1963. There are photographs of him in the car with Jane Fonda and Shirley Maclaine."

We reckon this is the ex-King Farouk Talbot Lago T26 cabriolet. Alongside is a facel Vega Excellence Credit: Artcurial

After studying the chassis and engine numbers of the car, research indicates that Pininfarina-designed California – one of only 52 examples made – was bought new by the comedian Gérard Blain, then sold to the actor Alain Delon, who was photographed several times at the wheel of the car, including in 1964 with Jane Fonda during the filming of Les Félins and on the Côte d'Azur with Shirley Maclaine.

It is incredibly well preserved compared with many of its neighbours, being stored in a brick garage rather than a corrugated iron shed. Nestled alongside it, Novikoff and Lamoure came across one of just four Maserati A6G 2000 Berlinettas with coachwork by Frua, dating from 1956 and added to the collection in 1957. "This shows that a significant number of these cars were bought new," says Novikoff.

He added that many of the great coach-built cars from that period have ended up in the United States, but the ones in this collection are rare indeed. As examples, he cited the three Talbot Lago T26s with caochwork by Saoutchik, a Grand Sport Aérodynamique coupé, a Record coupé and an extravagant cabriolet owned by King Farouk of Egypt.

"You cannot estimate the importance of these cars, they have been saved from the scrapyard," said Novikoff. "After restoration, the ex-King Farouk car could win Pebble Beach.

"The car was full of spider lines [webs] so the owner probably parked the car in 1956 or 57 and never used it since."

The majority of the cars are pretty well complete, but the worst cases will be sold for spares Credit: Artcurial

Matthieu Lamoure siad: "Not since the revelation of the Schlumpf Collection [the world's finest assembly of Bugattis and now a French historic monument] in Mulhouse has such a group of emblematic automobiles been disclosed and, what is more, in such original condition. Visitors to the Retromobile Salon will be able to share in our emotion, much like that experienced by Lord Carnarvon entering Tutankhamun's tomb."

Other significant cars in the collection include three Voisins, a Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux, no fewer than eight Delahayes, Facel Vega Excelllence, Hispano Suiza H6B, Lagonda LG45 cabriolet, four Pahard-Levassors, a Porsche 356 and eight Talbot Lagos.

Having seen the cars for the first time, Novikoff said: "A collection like this can't fail to arouse the passions of those who love automobiles, as well as art and history enthusiasts. Emotionally it is very strong. Some cars from the 1920s and 30s still have the original paint. Many of the most interesting cars are from the 1930s, 40s and 50s, most are coachbuilt by French firms."

"I'm so excited by this find. It is surely the last ever important barn-find collection, a last opportunity. You might find one or two cars together, but to find 60 important cars is just a dream."

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