Barn find discovered thanks to Hurricane Charley: 20 Ferraris found to go under hammer

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The story sounds adventurous. An unknown collector buys custom Ferrari models for years in America and secretly stacks them in a barn on the Florida beach. The special collection includes historical vehicles such as the 500 Mondial Spider Series I from Pininfarina, which was 14th overall at the Mille Miglia in 1954, or the 250 GT Coupé Speciale from Pininfarina, produced in 1956 specifically for King Mohamed V of Morocco.

In 1990 the dilapidated barn collapsed and was buried under Italian treasures. But 14 years later, Hurricane Charley, whose hurricane raged and wreaked havoc on the Florida coast, brought back the lost Ferraris from the buried treasure chest. As Rob Myers of the Bonhams auction house assures, some badly battered vehicles were salvaged and have since been placed in a secure hall in Indianapolis (USA) and “have remained undisturbed ever since”.

Value: Over $30 million

“Only a select group of Ferrari collectors knew of the existence of these extraordinary cars,” Myers says. “For the rest of the world, these tools are lost.” They have now resurfaced and will go up for auction on August 17 during Monterey Car Week in Pebble Beach (USA). “Many of these lost Ferraris have remained untouched since then and are therefore still in the original condition they were in when they were purchased,” Myers says.

Of course, such magnificent barn finds arouse the desire of collectors and restorers. Experts estimate that twenty exclusive Ferraris could fetch over $30 million at auction in mid-August.

Blick briefly presents four of the most outstanding Ferraris believed to have been lost and now found again, listing all 20 Ferrari trouvailles in a separate table by vehicle year.

One of four 1956 250 GT coupés with Superamerica-style bodywork by Pinin Farina. This car was sold from the factory to its first owner, King Mohamed V of Morocco. The unusual color combination of the Celeste (sky blue) with the black Nero roof is still clearly visible despite the weather conditions. Important: The matching original V12 engine makes this Speciale an attractive candidate for restoration. (Estimation: about $1.7 to $2.3 million).

This red example made its debut at the Ferrari booth at the 1965 Turin Motor Show and was featured on the Conti/Venturi and the 1966 Targa Florio. Exceptional: This first “Long-Nose” 275 GTB was equipped with a light alloy body and six carburetors. (Estimation: about $2.0 to $2.5 million).

If a car could talk, the weather-worn chassis of this 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial would have an incredible story to tell. Originally equipped with a Pinin Farina Spider body, the new car was sold to Scuderia Guastalla boss Franco Cornacchia, who made it available to racing driver Franco Cortese. In the 1954 Mille Miglia, Cortese moved up to 4th place in her class and 14th place overall. The vehicle was later modified by Scaglietti. Two years later, Benzoni/Naust started with him at Targa Florio. (Estimation: about $1.2 to $1.6 million).

This Ferrari 512 BB is one of three sample factories prepared for the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans. The starting number 87 car was driven by Jacques Guérin, Jean-Pierre Delaunay and Gregg Young and performed impressively before retiring after 19 hours and 232 laps. This Ferrari looks pretty much the same as when it was lifted after the Le Mans race. (Estimation: about $1.8 to $2.8 million).

Source: Blick