Dusty barn of forgotten classic cars set to fetch millions at auction - including £10m rare Ferrari

A classic Ferrari hidden in a French barn for 40 years is expected to sell for more than £10 million in ‘one of the most important finds in 20 years’.

The 1961 Ferrari 250 SWB California Spider was discovered alongside 60 other classic cars in a lock-up in France.

It was this exact car that gained worldwide fame when Alain Delon used it for the filming of 'Les Felins' with Shirley MacLaine and Jane Fonda in 1964.

The car - known as 2935 GT - was bought by Jacques Baillon, a transport and truck company owner from western France in November 1971.


He hid it away, and for years, collectors and dealers have been looking to get their hands on the iconic convertible.

Now French auction house Artcurial have come across the Ferrari - which was gathering dust in the barn and had dozens of magazines dumped on its roof.

The car is one of a stash of 60 vehicles which were all found in the same barn in western France.

The Ferrari will be auctioned off their Paris sale in February 2015 - and it’s set to go for more than £10m.

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John Collins, from Ferrari dealer Talacrest in Ascot, has spent the last 12 months trying to find the car.

He said: 'I have known about the car for years and I was gutted when I found out about three weeks ago that an auction house had got it.

'Apart from a few people, not many knew the Ferrari still existed. It is a phenomenal car and the best barn find in more than 20 years.

'I am sure it will go for an eight-figure sum and I will be one of several people looking to buy it.



'It is really great - people are going to be fighting over it.'

Ferrari only built 37, 250 GT SWB California Spider and they are among the most sought-after classic cars.

The car is powered by a 3-litre V12 engine which developed around 240bhp when it left the Ferrari factory in 1961.

Whoever buys the Ferrari will need to spend a lot of time getting the car back on the road.

Mr Collins, who recently paid £520,000 for the 25 O plate, believes it will be better that the car is sympathetic restored rather than brought back to show condition.


The Ferrari was one of 60 classic cars which were discovered by Artcurial. It was parked next to a valuable Maserati GranSport A6G Frua.

There is also rare models from Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, Talbot-Lago, Panhard Levassor and Delage Delahaye.

Matthieu Lamoure, managing director at Artcurial Motorcars, has likened the barn find to the discovery of Tutankhamun.

He said: 'Visitors to the Retromobile Salon will be able to share in our emotion, much like that experienced by Lord Carrington and Howard Carter entering Tutankhamun's tomb.'