Posted on 01/01/2009 7:54:53 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
When eccentric doctor and compulsive hoarder Harold Carr died at the age of 89, his relatives faced a daunting task to sort through his possessions.
His home was packed with piles of medical machinery, 1,500 beer steins, thousands of receipts and even a World War Two spy drone.
But all the effort became worth it when they opened the door of his garage - and struck gold.
Inside they found a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, one of only 17 ever made.
The historic automobile with only 26,284 miles on the clock still has 99 per cent of its original parts.
It will be sold in Paris next month and is strongly tipped to surpass the £4.7million world record for a car at auction.
Auctioneers have put a reserve price of £3million on a two-seater described as one of the 'ultimate road-going sports cars from the golden era of the 1930s'.
And despite the credit crunch it could fetch anything up to £6million.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Isn’t that like the car that Ducky drives in NCIS?
ping
Safe bet Leno ends up with it.
I was thinking the same thing.
No, He drives a British make in keeping with his character.
The Bugatti is Italian.
The Shah's 1939 Bugatti 57C.
I had an eccentric, hoarding great uncle. Unfortunately, he mostly just hoarded phone books and TV Guides (he did leave everyone a sizable chunk of money when he died though, God bless him).
Thanks. Cars aren’t exactly my specialty.
For $9M, couldn’t you have one built to the original specs? Or better?
Man oh man, that car looks like it came from a cartoon. Incredible.
My son has a ‘58 dodge power wagon.....only 18,000 miles on it and original tires, I am sure he would take under a million for it heck even under 500,000 for it......better deal than the Bugatti....I’ll throw in a case of Bud to sweeten the deal
Interesting garage inventory, a Bugatti and a WWII spy drone.
He drives a Morgan. With an electical system by Charlie Lucas, the Prince of Darkness. Same guy who designed the system for my old MG. Died every time it rained.
I couldn’t think of the make when I replied, I think it’s an M G from the fifties. See a few for sale if you have 30 to 60 grand you’re not using.
Leno was my first thought as well.
After owning a MK IX Jag, two 109 Landies and a Rangie, I can assure you that Lucas was not, repeat not, the Prince of Darkness.
That Lucas was The Inventor of Darkness, I won’t argue, however.
Actually, I was impressed with how well the electrical systems built by Lucas had held up. None were less than 20 years old and all had original components, save for perhaps a rebuild on the starter or such.
The Landies still had their original hand crank, which I occasionally used for the fun of it.
....but then, I'm old.
Is it true that the frame of that car was made of wood? I remember that being mentioned ones - but do not recall the episode.
....they selected Lucas.
I don't believe the frame was...but floor panels and maybe the bulkheads...firewall and cockpit rear were made of wood.
Now the Shah’s Bugatti is cool, some of the others are a bit frumpy.
I was thinking Clive Cussler. He writes about cars like this in all his books.
It was Joe Lucas, not Charlie
* The Lucas motto: "Get home before dark."
* Lucas is the patent holder for the short circuit.
* Lucas - Inventor of the first intermittent wiper.
* Lucas - Inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.
* The three position Lucas switch - Dim, Flicker and Off.
* The Original Anti-Theft Device - Lucas Electrics.
* Lucas is an acronym for Loose Unsoldered Connections and Splices
The above are from here
I once had a girlfriend with a old TD and an MGA. When they ran they were great fun, but it was best to drive them on clear sunny days, and to carefully avoid puddles.
They really are stunning. Nothing now comes close in style.
My Motoguzzi had lucas electrics on it, there is just nothing like rolling down the road in the middle of the
night at seventy and losing power and lights.
It happened one night crossing Mount Eagle just as I was
coming up on a hitch hiker, I heard him scream as I went by.
Mosty times you could pound on the switch box and it would
come back...
Dim, Flicker, Off. The three positions on a lucas headlight switch. (with any moisture it transforms to flicker, smoke, off).
Thats alright, my first car was a Datsun Fairlady. It had enlarged copies of SU carbs. Taught me a lot about tuning that car did...
You probably had one of those SU air flow meters too.
Here’s some info:
FEATURE ARTICLE from Hemmings Motor News
Home>Contents
1945-1950 M.G. TC
Hemmings Motor News - DECEMBER 1, 2006 - BY DAVID LACHANCE - PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD LENTINELLO
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The passage of time has only made the classic from Abingdon more afforable
Look at the graph of average values for M.G. TDs over the past quarter century, and you’ll see a steady rise, aside from one small setback around 2000. Nothing too surprising, right? But an interesting fact reveals itself when you adjust the numbers for inflation: Real values actually peaked in 1990, at the equivalent of $32,000 in current-day dollars, and have taken a drop of 22 percent or so in the 15 years since.
Why? If you managed to stay awake through enough of Economics 101, you may recall that market values are driven by supply and demand. In the case of the TC, both seem to be working to hold prices back. MG produced more than 10,000 TCs, a healthy number for the Abingdon works, and a significant number survive—in fact, in the past couple of decades, the number of basket-case cars that have been restored has outstripped the number sent to the crusher. At the same time, the number of potential buyers has been on the wane.
The backbone of the TC’s market has traditionally been made up of those who owned or lusted after one of the cars when it was new, perhaps having seen one tearing down the track with a number on its door, or cruising on a back road with a happy couple and their picnic lunch aboard. But that was more than a half-century ago, and those enthusiasts are passing from the scene. Potential buyers who have no memories of the TC may find themselves instead drawn to other, more usable cars that offer similar experiences, including two from M.G.’s own stables, the TD and TF.
“I always look at it as, who would buy one, and why would they want one?” said Marc Evans, president of the New England Classic Car Company in Stratford, Connecticut, who estimates that he’s sold 200 TCs over the past 30 years. “I love TCs — I think they’re great cars,” he said. “But there are a bunch of fun cars to drive.” Where the TC shines is in coupling pre-war design with relatively good parts availability and such modern design features as press-fit bearings. The solid front and rear axles, big wire wheels, cart springs, cut-down doors, flowing fenders and classic, upright grille offer the lucky owner a true 1930s driving experience at a price below that of most genuine pre-war cars.
Launched in 1945, but not exported to the U.S. until 1947, the TC earned its eternal fame as the car that introduced Americans to sports cars. It was powered by a 1,250cc XPAG inline-four that made 54.5hp, sufficient for a top speed of somewhere around 70 mph and a comfortable cruising speed around 55 mph. A three-speed gearbox with synchromesh on the top three gears and hydraulic drum brakes were fitted, and all examples, whether Stateside-bound or not, were right-hand drive.
Buyers beguiled by the TC’s unsinkable charm will want to make sure that they check out the wood frame that lies under the body panels—it can, and does, rot, requiring costly repair. Marc Evans suggests that $25,000 will buy a solid car, while a $35,000 car should have “at least a couple of ribbons.” We recently saw a tatty, but usable, TC sell for $11,000 at auction, which has to rate as something of a bargain. As always, should you decide to take the plunge, find a knowledgeable specialist or club member, and learn all you can before writing that check.
This article originally appeared in the DECEMBER 1, 2006 issue of Hemmings Motor News.
Order Backissues of Hemmings Motor News Here.
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Can you guys pay back that loan so I can buy this ride...
.........and I’ll take the $$$$ ...for whatever either of them are worth. ;D
About 1970 while doing 105 mph on Rt. 301 in Maryland about 2:00AM the lights went out after hitting a bump.
I was always thankful that there was a full moon that night.
The Brits manufactured more than a few cars with wood: Marcos sports cars used a plywood frame up until 1969, and there were probably many others prior.
Thanks for the info. Any idea why wood was used? Weight?
We should be able to arrange a grant from the Fed auto program.
Our MG-A was a Lucas basket case... beautiful, but the wiring was just awful. Our MG-B never had a problem. It surprises me how small they are when I see one these days. British racing green, wire wheels, ragtops, both. I had a turbocharged Corvair Spyder for high school, and drove a Falcon to college... a Mustang in ugly clothing - it was cheap to drive, and could carry 5 kegs plus a lookout.
That sporty but underpowered experiment led to some early 70’s Porsche powered Super Beetles (I had 3 of those), all with sunroofs. Concert halls on wheels, back in the pre-subwoofer days of Pioneer, Craig, power booster amps and, um, Mott the Hoople. After the second moron crossed the centerline and took out another one, the insurance bought number three which I sold and bought something a little more substantial in the front end. Big block. Never looked back.
Good times. I preferred two wheels eventually though, and with time, that obsession mutated to off-road, hence I’ve been driving a truck since... with a few side excursions in the later 70’s to Malibu and Corvette... small block daily drivers. Wish I had all of em stashed in a garage.
No doubt! I wish I had my 67 Cutlass back...
All the Young Dudes eh?
Definition of a Wet Dream. = A garage full of old cars with a leaky roof...
Now THAT is a cool looking car...!!!
LOL
It amazes me how these old cars keep popping up like this.
You mean like this one... http://www.snopes.com/photos/automobiles/barnfind.asp
That’s exactly what I was thinking of! :)
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