Ultimate barn find: Ferrari 250 GT and countless classics

9 December, 2014

In this era, where mankind has access to nearly every corner of the globe, it is inevitable that the classic barn find is dying — they’ve almost all been discovered. Well, one farm in western France didn’t follow this trend.

About 100 classic cars were housed on the property in varying states of decay, beneath an assortment of barns and ramshackle shelters. Around 60 of these cars have been deemed salvageable, and are expected to fetch up to £12m. Imagine the surprise of the French classic car specialists Matthieu Lamoure and Pierre Novikoff who were commissioned to help identify the vehicles, which include a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California SWB, a 1956 Maserati A6G 200 Berlinetta Gran Sport Frua, and a Talbot-Logo T26 Cabriolet owned by King Farouk of Egypt.  

The Ferrari, one of only 37 ever made, was featured in the 1964 film Les Felins and has borne Jane Fonda as a passenger. Said specialist Mr. Lamoure of the Ferrari, “Only 37 examples of this model were built, making it extremely rare. Every example has been carefully documented by historians and this one was thought to be lost — we have found it.” The Ferrari is expected to fetch anywhere from £9.5m to £12m.

The Maserati, with body built by Frua, is one of just three in existence and is thought to be worth around £1m. Equally as impressive is the Talbot-Logo T26 Cabriolet owned by King Farouk, who was renowned for his extraordinarily lavish lifestyle.

The enormous collection was built up between the 1950s and 1970s by entrepreneur Roger Baillon. When his business began a downwards slope in the ’70s, he was forced to sell off some 50-odd cars, and what remains here is what he kept. His grandchildren had no idea of the extent or value of the collection, and enlisted the assistance of Artcurial Motorcars’ specialists. The collection will be sold by Artcurial Motorcars in Paris on February 6, 2015.

Images courtesy of Artcurial Motorcars

A diamond in the rough

Two years ago, Lew finished a thorough restoration and the impressive ute has taken on a new life and colour. Lew plays down the amount of effort required but, despite his protestations, I suspect he put a lot of time into the project. A few unwanted tenants were evicted along the way.
“It didn’t take me long. There had been mice living in the firewall, which had caused a bit of damage. It apparently broke down and was pushed into a shed. It was 20 years to the day when I pulled it out and it sat in my other shed for 3 years before I started on it. That’s why it’s in such good order — it’s been kept in a shed for so long and still is.”

NZ Classic Car magazine, July August 2025 issue 400, on sale now

Good for the soul, a dose of Hemi Orange – Chrysler’s champion Charger
The Australian-developed Chrysler Charger was a game changer for the company in 1971, as it faced a faltering start introducing its new VH range. The stylish big coupe signalled a massive change of direction and emphasis for Chrysler.
Auckland racing driver Rod Coppins raced successfully in Australia and New Zealand. Rod found success behind the wheel of a couple of Chargers, and it is a special E49 R/T in the custody of Mike Todd for some years, that is our feature car.
A full restoration of this car has been completed at Auto Restorations (AR) in Christchurch. We recently sampled the car, ready to be shipped back to Mike and spoke to AR’s Harry Dawber, leading the team who completed the superb restoration of this rare piece of NZ motor racing history.
I mentioned that Chrysler Chargers were never built to this standard as we walked around the gleaming Charger in its Hemi Orange colour scheme.
“We took a lot of time getting those shut lines exactly right. It’s been a great car to work on, and the paint and trim have been very well done by the team here.”