Autoblog

David Brown's rusty old Aston sells for £200k at auction

Noah Joseph — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:35:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Auctions, Aston Martin, UK

David Brown's 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII Drophead - Click above for high-res images

How much would you pay for a rusty old car? A couple grand, if it had real potential? More? How about $319,000? That's how much one rusty old Aston Martin recently sold for at auction, and needless to say, it far exceeded pre-auction estimates.

Of course, this 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII drophead is no ordinary old car. It belonged to the legendary David Brown himself, the former Aston boss whose initials still grace the company's GTs to this day. The car's been sitting under a tarp, hidden from the world for 30 years. Naturally it's not exactly in tip-top condition at this point, and it'll require a significant amount of work to be brought up to spec.

"A rolling restoration project" is how auctioneers Barons British Heritage called it. We'll call it a labor of love, and a mighty expensive one at that. Details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII drophead, ex-David Brown

[Source: Barons]

Continue reading David Brown's rusty old Aston sells for £200k at auction

David Brown's rusty old Aston sells for £200k at auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fairfield County Concours d'Elegance starts "barn finds" category

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Misc. Auto Shows

Classic Chevrolet Corvette barn find - Click above to enlarge

Are there any among us that don't dream of that elusive barn find? As far as we're concerned, locating an ancient board track racer, Shelby Cobra or even the odd Bugatti at the bottom of a lake would be a life-changing event. For attendees of the upcoming Fairfield County Concours d'Elegance on September 12, 2010, such a find will at least get you entrance into a renowned classic car event.

So... just what is an eligible barn find? Says Tom Cotter, widely recognized enthusiast of the genre and author of several books on the subject including the evocatively named The Cobra in the Barn and The Hemi in the Barn, that would be "a vehicle that has been previously unknown, or known and unattainable, or discovered through obscure means; all with a great story." Such an example (in this case a classic Chevrolet Corvette and apparently the subject of Cotter's next book, named... well, we'll let you figure that one out) can be seen above.

Have such a machine in mind? No problem, just be sure that the car is in the exact same condition as it was when you found it; no 100-point restorations allowed in this category. You've got until July 1 to get your submission in, and only 20 vehicles will be chosen for the show. Now, if you'll excuse us, we've got some serious scavenging to do...

[Source: The Fairfield County Concours d'Elegance]

Continue reading Fairfield County Concours d'Elegance starts "barn finds" category

Fairfield County Concours d'Elegance starts "barn finds" category originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 May 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google StreetView uncovers split-window Corvette "barn find"

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Chevrolet

This is no way to treat a 1963 Corvette split-window coupe. Found in Washington by one of Google StreetView's drones, there's actually no barn to this barn find, just a car left sitting in the gray mist that folks in the Pacific Northwest call "weather."

This Corvette had a 12-year shelf life, and then according to the owner, it's "been veggin' on the spot since '75." If you are interested, it's one of the fuel injected models and comes with an extra engine and other parts. Of course, if it's been sitting there for 34 years, it could fall to pieces when you try to move it... and you'll probably find more than a few dead (or perturbed) animals lurking thereabouts. But that wouldn't stop you, would it? Check out the gallery below of this forlorn '63 Vette.

Gallery: Abandoned 1963 Corvette

[Source: Corvette Blogger]

Google StreetView uncovers split-window Corvette "barn find" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bought the Farm: barn-find Bugatti Atalante sells for $4.4M

Noah Joseph — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:06:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Bugatti

Bugatti Atalantes don't come up for sale very often, so when one unused example was unearthed from the garage of the reclusive late Dr. Harold Carr, enthusiasts and collectors alike stood up and took notice. The rare barn find 1937 Type 57S rolled across the Bonhams "Retromobile" auction block in Paris this weekend as scheduled, where it sold to a European collector for the equivalent of $4.4 million. While that may sound like a chunk of change - and certainly is by most standards, especially in this economy - it's only half of the highest estimates placed on the Bugatti's value upon discovery. You can bet that, after decades of neglect, its new owner will put in another hefty sum to have it restored to pristine quality before it starts hitting the concours circuit around the world. Thanks to Zack for the tip.

Gallery: 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante

[Source: AOL]

Bought the Farm: barn-find Bugatti Atalante sells for $4.4M originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YARD FIND: 1954 Hardtop Corvette

Chris Tutor — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Chevrolet

Hemmings reader Joel says when he first heard about the 1954 Corvette sitting in a pine grove for 45 years, he figured he'd find a fiberglass shell sitting atop the rusted remnants of a frame. He thought the early Vette might at least make a nice street rod.

But when he finally saw the car way up in the Colorado Smokies, he was stunned. Not only did the car still have its original hardtop, but the frame was rust free and the "original painted frame stamp from the factory is still on the frame and very much legible," Joel tells Hemmings Auto Blogs.

The story is that the car's second owner drove the Corvette to a friend's house in 1963 to have the seats re-covered. He replaced the driver's seat with a wooden Pepsi box and drove home where he parked it beneath the pine trees until Joel pulled it out.

Now Joel has a conundrum. After getting the car running again, he's totally ruled out street rod, but doesn't know what to do with the car. Frame off? Survivor-car preservation? Currently, Hemmings readers are unanimously recommending the preservation route, arguing there are already too many half-million-dollar frame off restos out there.

We've all dreamed about this happening to us, so how would you advise Joel?

[Source: Hemmings Auto Blogs]

YARD FIND: 1954 Hardtop Corvette originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Great Portugese Barn Find hoax debunked but still going strong

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:25:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc.

We receive a lot of tips here at Autoblog. Some implore us to check out camera shots of an Audi R8 spotted in Santa Monica, others relay breaking news in the industry, and still more are just personal rants about the state of all things four-wheeled. And then there are the tips we get about the Great Portuguese Barn Find.

Hundreds of tips about this amazing discovery have been pouring in for months. They all have in common the story of a New Yorker's retirement gift to himself - a house on a few acres in Portugal. The house he found had been vacant for 15 years, the owners having passed away leaving no heirs. The property was being sold to pay back taxes owed, and besides the house, there was also a large metal barn on the land with its doors welded shut. Nobody took the time to see what was inside, so the property was sold as is. When the new owner and his wife arrived, they got to work opening up the barn and found - the barn find of the millennium. Inside the structure sat around 200 dusty classic cars. What an unbelievable bit of luck for the new owner!

Follow the jump for the real story.

[Source: Old Cars Weekly]

Continue reading The Great Portugese Barn Find hoax debunked but still going strong

The Great Portugese Barn Find hoax debunked but still going strong originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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