And not just any Bugatti, but a Type 57S Atlante, the kind that won international class speed records, the Grand Prix, and the Le Mans in 1937. Only 17 of them were ever made.
Collectors knew that this car existed, but didn't know where, until it turned up in a barn, with its original chassis, engine, drivetrain and body, and with 26,284 miles on its odometer.
Collectors knew that this car existed, but didn't know where, until it turned up in a barn, with its original chassis, engine, drivetrain and body, and with 26,284 miles on its odometer.
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/02/barn-find-of-the-decade-1937-bugatti-type-57s-atalante/
Autoblog goes on to say "This one went missing half a century ago, only now to be found again. It was originally owned by Earl Howe, first president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, and changed hands several times before the reclusive Dr. Carr mothballed it. Estimated values for the car are all over the map, with values as high as £6 million (about $8.8M USD) being discussed."
All I have ever found in the barn are early fifties cars, rats, and rototillers. I gotta find better barns.
There is a book titled "The Hemi in the Barn" that has many stories like this.
You might find this link interesting.
http://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/telstarlogistics/2007/06/well_now_its_of.html