Barn-find Lamborghini sells for nearly £500k

Miura is star lot in auction of 81 rusty classics

It’s clearly seen better days, but beneath all that grime and dirt is a Lamborghini Miura: a legendary supercar that changed the world when it launched in 1966.

Possibly even more desirable today than they were 50 years ago, Miuras regularly change hands these days for around £700,000 – which makes this one something of a bargain.

Sold as part of a huge 81-car barn-find collection at the weekend, it changed hands for €560,000 – that’s £493,022. And nor was it the only notable motor to go under the hammer. Read on for the highlights…

The best barn-find of 2019?

The astounding collection was discovered spread over various fields and garages on a French property after the owner, a Monsieur Ruggieri, passed away. 

Dug out

When auctioneer Henri Adam investigated the property, he discovered 81 classic cars in varying states of disrepair, many of them wrapped in heavy undergrowth or buried beneath detritus – alongside a host of vintage parts and components, ranging from body shells to doors to engines.

Huge interest

The find attracted plenty of attention, to the extent that the auction's location was kept secret until just days before. With bids also flying in from as far afield as Switzerland and the USA, every single one of the 81 cars sold – although some only fetched very small amounts. 

Lamborghini Miura P400

Sold for: €560,000 (£493,022)

Let’s start at the top, though. The Miura was clearly the outstanding lot in the collection, even in this rather dilapidated state.

Lamborghini Miura P400 (continued)

True, it’ll need a fair bit of TLC before it’s restored to its full glory, but as a matching-numbers, V12-engined example with 77,886km on its odometer, it’s got plenty of potential. The Miura eventually sold to an online bid from a buyer in Switzerland.

1961 Jaguar E-type

Sold for: €99,000 (£87,159)

A Series 1 Jaguar E-type in 3.8-litre Flat Floor guise was the second priciest lot in the sale.

It had been in M. Ruggieri's collection since 1970 and has 58,631km on the clock, plus a rather fetching metallic gold finish (beneath all the dust).

1953 Porsche 356 Pre-A

Sold for: €48,000 (£42,259)

Rounding out this fascinating podium was the sole Porsche in Ruggieri’s custodianship, a very sorry-looking 1953 356 Pre-A.

Described as having been exposed to the elements for a long time and being very incomplete with significant corrosion, it went to a new home for a bargain price, considering that a similar model in pristine condition could be worth as much as £500,000.

Admittedly, its new owner will have quite the restoration job ahead of them to get it up to that standard, though!

Chevrolet Corvette C3

Sold for: €8000 (£7015)

The new owner of this dirty, dusty lot will need to give it a very good clean. With that done, they'll find they've bought themselves a Chevrolet Corvette C3 in T Top guise, 5.7-litre V8 under the hood and all.

Lincoln Continental MkIII

Sold for: €18,500 (£16,287)

One lot described as a great basis for a restoration – a description which surely could be applied to the majority of the cars consigned to this sale – was a 1958 Lincoln Continental MkIII that achieved €18,500 (£16,287), making it one of the pricier sales.

1924 Rolland-Pilain B22

Sold for: €17,800 (£15,671)

One of the older cars in the collection was this 1924 Rolland-Pilain B22.

This stylish French slice of the ’20s wasn't actually registered until July 1933 and has a seized engine, but we hope someone can bring it back to its best.

1955 Simca Coupé de Ville

Sold for: €8100 (£7131)

Another French classic in the collection was this bonny yellow example of Simca’s ’50s sports coupé. Well, bonny but for the rust, dust and general state of disrepair. Still, it’s an attractive two-seater and a rare one at that, hence the relatively high (for this auction) price.

Ford Transit II

Sold for: €100 (£87)

At the other end of the scale from the likes of the Miura and E-type, this sorry looking Ford Transit van sold for a mere €100. Nor was it even the cheapest lot: a couple of Fiat 131 cars sold for €70 (£61) and €50 (£43) respectively, and a Peugeot 304 also changed hands for €50.