Forgotten treasure of rare cars found in French village

In a small village in western France, in makeshift shelters bared to the elements, a treasure trove of extremely rare cars has been discovered after lying forgotten for almost 50 years.
Under a pile of dusty old car magazines, one of only 37 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spiders ever made valued at up to USD 14 million is among some 60 classic gems discovered by the elite Artcurial auction house.
The once-in-a-lifetime discovery, announced earlier this month, was likened by Artcurial managing director Matthieu Lamoure to stumbling upon the car world's equivalent of the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Lamoure and senior specialist Pierre Novikoff got a tip-off about the timeworn fleet while criss-crossing the country earlier this year hunting for rare pieces.
On the farm -- Artcurial is keeping the exact location secret -- they found a hodge-podge of makeshift structures, describing shock after shock as they realised the treasures they contained.
"This was somewhere between a metallic graveyard and a museum," said Novikoff, describing valuable cars invaded by ivy, and in some cases corrugated iron resting directly on the cars.

"We were overcome with emotion. Probably much like Lord Carrington and Howard Carter, on being the first for centuries to enter Tutankhamun's tomb," said Lamoure.

They may be rusted and weather-beaten, but the legendary names such as Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, Talbot-Lago, Panhard-Levassor, Maserati, Ferrari, Delahaye and Delage are described by Artcurial as "works of art."
The rare California Spider -- a car which features 13 times on the list of the 100 most expensive cars ever sold -- was bought new by French actor Gerard Blain and later sold to fellow actor Alain Delon.
Delon was photographed with American actresses Jane Fonda and Shirley MacLaine in the car, which historians thought to be lost forever.
Also uncovered is an extravagant Talbot Lago T26 Cabriolet that belonged to Egypt's last monarch King Farouk, an immensely rich ruler known for grotesque extravagance, and avid collector who along with fast cars amassed one of the world's most famous coin collections.

"This is surely the last time that such a discovery will be made, anywhere in the world. What is so special here is the number of cars, the range and the quality and pedigree of the models," said Novikoff.