Barn-Find Bonanza

IVER, UNITED KINGDOM – Sept 8, 2011: Classic car collectors and enthusiasts alike, all eager to heed the call of the hobby and become immersed in motoring history, will head to Brooklands on Saturday October 22nd for Historics’ latest auction, which includes no fewer than nine intriguing barn find ‘classics’ and restoration projects, many with no reserve.

Despite obvious demands, a restoration needn’t be something tackled with trepidation, and conducted correctly, can yield hugely rewarding results, both emotionally and financially.

A 1954 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Coupe – designed by engineering icon Vittorio Jano – offers not only the opportunity to own a car considered sporty and sophisticated enough for the likes of racing legends Juan Manuel Fangio and Mike Hawthorn, but also the knowledge that as one of a limited number ever built and with no reserve, its value could soar with a sympathetic restoration.

While taking on a project can offer a return on investment, the draw of becoming part of its history is often the key for classic fans and collectors alike, and a 1923 La France ‘Raceabout’, from the US emergency and vocational vehicle manufacturer, American La France, boasts an intriguing chronology within which to become a part.

Presented as a complete chassis, the speedster still features wooden artillery style wheels in good order, running gear, and a masterful six-cylinder, twin spark plug, 105bhp engine that presents a perfect project for hands-on restoration.

Of other Lots, fans of fifties motoring will find a 1953 Jaguar XK120 ‘DHC’ in need of little work despite spending 40 years in a barn, a matching numbers 1954 Singer 4AD Roadster, and a trio of Bristols; a 1954 and a 1955 Bristol 405 and their successor, a 1959 Bristol 406, all offered without engine and gearbox but with the beautifully contoured bodywork intact, and all from the stable of marque legend Brian May.

Completing the list of barn finds on offer at Historics sale, is a French-built 1934 Hotchkiss Cabourg 413, that while in need of some re-commissioning, is free from rust, and a 1963 Jaguar Mk. II that represents not only an uncomplicated restoration but also a platform for a D-Type or C-Type replica project.