Bugatti Type 57S Atalante found in Tyneside

While this did take place south of the border, and would probably be unlikely to happen up here (but you never know what’s been hidden away and forgotten), this does qualify as something of a secret that was discovered.

While you never expect to find one, those of us that have a finger in the hobby dream of making a Barn Find one day – the discovery of a long-lost and forgotten car stuffed at the back of a barn, a victim of circumstances that meant that the owner never got back to it in their lifetime, or mentioned it to anyone.

Many rust away from neglect, while others are ordinary classic, veteran, or vintage cars, and too far gone to be of value, but for the odd recoverable spare part if its not too decayed and rotten.

Then there are the gems, lucky enough to have been stored in such a way as to be largely preserved, and to be something rare. These can be worth millions, and the one announced on January 1 was one of those.

A 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, one of 17, which was found by relatives of a reclusive Newcastle doctor in the lockup garage which contained the contents he left to them, which also included an Aston Martin and a Jaguar E-type.

The car, originally owned by Earl Howe – first president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club – is due to be sold by Bonhams in Paris next month, and is expected to fetch up to £3 million. Hopefully the sale will be featured in the news, and we can see how the current recession affect the prediction.

Driven by the doctor from 1955 to 1960, then garaged, the car has recorded 26,284 miles.

The Bugatti 57S is highly coveted, with at least four thought to belong to the Musee Nationale de L’Automobile in Mulhouse, France, while the remaining examples are in the hands of private collectors.