Classic car lover's dream come true: 1939 Lagonda V12 Drophead Coupe
We've all heard the stories. Some mid-century family stows their gorgeous car, which they used minimally and of which they took excellent care, in some old barn, where it was forgotten until fifty years later. Half a century later, some lucky sot happens on (or tracks down) the sleepy classic, at which point it emerges dry, still relatively beautiful, and turns over like day it was put away. But that's just an automotive fairy tale, right?
Not for a 1939 Lagonda V12 Drophead Coupe that was recently uncovered in a dry barn, ready for restoration. The vehicle, which sports original equipment ranging from the radio and brown leather upholstery to the headlamps, will be auctioned off at H&H's upcoming Buxton, Derbyshire, UK (July 25/26) sale. It's expected to fetch between about $65,000 and $78,000.
Ever encountered any 'barn finds' of your own? Any great 'The one that got away' stories to share? Assuage your conscience in 'Comments.'
[Source: Gizmag]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Robert Brodrecht 9:37PM (6/03/2006)
That seems really, really cheap for a car that is supposedly well preserved. I'm not a classic car guy or anything, so my thoughts don't mean much.
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Steve 10:21PM (6/03/2006)
I just finished reading Tom Cotter's "Barn Finds" a few weeks ago. It's all just stories of, well, barn finds. It's amazing, really. But you've got to have money to burn.
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Steve 10:21PM (6/03/2006)
Actually, it's called "The Cobra in the Barn." Sorry.
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hmmmm 10:38PM (6/03/2006)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760319928/sr=8-1/qid=1149388546/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-8544841-7857532?%5Fencoding=UTF8
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Howard Kerr 11:05PM (6/03/2006)
"It's expected to fetch between $65,000 and $78,000."
I wonder if they really mean British Pounds Sterling, instead of dollars since that would make the POSSIBLE price closer to $100,000 to $125,000 which seems more realistic.
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the chad 11:15PM (6/03/2006)
Nope, according to the source its supposed to fetch 40k-50k pounds, which would be in the 65k-78k USD range.
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Barney 2:21AM (6/04/2006)
I would have loved to be the finder. A dream come true and I wouldn't be selling it. The price asked is the going rate if the car needs any type of restoration OR not all parts are origional. Finding any parts for this car will be expensive. Even being stowed in a barn will not leave it drivable or in prestine condition.
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GhostDoggy 10:41AM (6/04/2006)
As an average Joe, I would love to have one of these cars--fully restored of course. But even if I found this in my barn I do not have the financial means to correctly restore it to its former glory. This would mean that though I wouldn't be looking to collect a chunk of change at a pre-retoration auction, I would be regretful for the rest of my life to let it go or just sit there in my barn.
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chriseh 2:01PM (6/04/2006)
Restoration a side, the more interesting story IMO, is the history of the car, who owned it from 1939 etc. A great find indeed, considering it outlasted World War II.
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Tom 10:33AM (6/05/2006)
I once had the chance to buy a (very rusty) Ford Galaxie Convertible with a 428 Cobra Jet in it. For $800
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james 5:13PM (6/05/2006)
I was working one summer on my uncle’s farm in Vermont. Right down the road from Killington. The next farm down was recently purchased and the family was moving in. Word is the government over took the farm due to the fact the owner was thrown in jail for a very very very long time. So I decided to stop in and say hi. (I wanted to see the architecture off the old farmhouse) After a quick trip thru the house, we went out to the barn. It was a mess. No one had stepped foot in here since the 1980's. I forgot to mention this is 1998. And under some old blankets is a 1966 Toronado with 3000miles on it. The guy sold it to me for $1000. Got it running in about an hour and drove it home to Chicago averaging about 90! Got the beast up to 140mph! Everything worked fine expect the electrical.
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