Image Courtesy of Bonhams
Always be nice to your eccentric, compulsive collector relatives. A British family hit the jackpot with a classic "car found in the barn" story. When their eccentric bachelor uncle, Dr. Harold Carr, died in 2007, he named his extended family his heirs for much of his estate, including his house packed with 6-foot piles of belongings and several packed garages. It took 18 months to sort his things. The house was filled with old medical machinery, 1,500 beer steins and much ephemera. Then the family finally got to the garages. One was filled with trash and a hidden treasure--an old car. But not just any old car. It is a rare Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, one of only 17 made. In 1937 a famous racing fan ordered the car, a sporty two-seater. It was bought and sold several times until Dr. Carr bought it in 1955. He parked it in his garage in the 1960s. The car is in good condition with almost all of its original parts. Estimated value for the car, which will be sold in February at Bonhams in Paris: $8.7 million. Dr. Carr's eight relatives will share the money.
