Barn find' pre-WW2 classics
A remarkable single-owner collection of classic cars and motorcycles – 11 cars and 34 bikes - discovered in barns in Berkshire will be offered for sale at auction on June 2. The find, known as the ‘Home Farm Collection’, is estimated to sell for a total of £200,000 and includes a number of important survivors.
Many of the vehicles in the collection have been off the road for years if not decades. The treasure trove contains a fabulous ‘barn find’ Buick complete with its original, 105-year old paint.
Other highlights include a 1925 Bean 14hp Saloon that was formerly owned by newspaper magnate Sir Ray Tindle.
The 11 cars in the Home Farm Collection are: 1931 Austin 12/6 Harley Saloon (estimate £4,000-£6,000); 1934 Citroen Ten Rosalie Saloon (£4,000-£6,000); 1925 Bean 14hp Saloon (£12,000-£14,000); 1934 Morris 10/4 Faux Cabriolet (£8,000-£10,000); 1921 Humber 11.4hp Doctor’s Coupe (£10,000-£12,000); 1926 Morris Cowley ‘Bullnose’ Tourer (£4,000-£6,000); 1929 Humber 16/50 All-Weather Saloon (£10,000-£12,000); 1922 Citroen Type C ‘Cloverleaf’ Tourer (£3,000-£4,000); 1912 Buick Model 35C Tourer (£6,000-£8,000); 1926 Austin Seven Top Hat R Saloon (£10,000-£12,000); and a 1929 Rover 10/25 Riviera Saloon (£6,000-£8,000).
They are being sold at auction by H&H Classics at the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham. It is the first ever auction of classic motorcycles and cars at this venue.
Damian Jones, head of sales at H&H Classics, says: “Once in while, doing what I do, you stumble across a collection which is pure magic. The contents of this horde could have met the vehicular needs of an entire village during the late 1930s from the squire downwards.
“The fact that many of the motorcycles and motorcars are still swathed in dust and cobwebs only adds to the fascination of what can best be described as an automotive ‘time capsule’. True enthusiasts are going to love this collection.”
Another single-owner collection in the sale at the National Motorcycle Museum is one of 14 pre- and post-Second World War cars.
Dubbed the County Wexford Collection, it includes including a 1938 Austin 20hp Mayfair Limousine that was purchased new by the Fifth Marquess of Bath as transport for Marina, Duchess of Kent and stabled at Longleat until the Nineties.
The collection also encompasses such rarities as a 1939 Triumph Dolomite 14/60 Drophead Coupe (one of three known survivors) and a 1931 Willys Overland Whippet Coupe.
Other interesting entries in the sale are a 1932 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Saloon ‘garage find’ that has been in the current family ownership since 1959, along with a 1973 Volvo P1800 ES that was first owned by the comedian Jimmy Tarbuck.
