Six barn-finds you can buy this week

Forgotten classics that won’t cost the earth

In classic car circles, the phrase ‘barn-find’ is one that triggers instant interest, bringing to mind visions of forgotten Ferraris and long-lost Lamborghinis – all with hefty price tags.

Barn-finds aren’t always quite so exotic, though. Just as if you laid up your Ford Focus and forgot about it for 50 years, so some garages contain classics of a more everyday nature.

That’s not to say they’re not worth a packet, mind. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and, it seems, a layer of dust makes the 40-year-old family saloon a thing to lust after.

With that in mind, here are six barn-find classics you can buy at H&H’s auction in Buxton this Thursday (19 July) – that won’t cost you millions.

1965 Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Coupe

Estimate: £4000 – 5000

First up is a very stately wagon – a mid-’60s Merc that still looks as stylish today as the day it was left to gather dust in a garage.

The 300SE was a properly luxurious thing in its day, essentially a W111 with a 3-litre fuel-injected motor stuck in the nose and all the mod-cons added to the cabin. Think air suspension, power steering and a sumptuous trim level.

1965 Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Coupe (cont.)

This 1965 example is believed to be one of just 270 made in right-hand drive guise and it’s been stabled with its current owner since the '70s.

Garaged in 1981, it’s re-emerged this year as a largely original – albeit dusty – example, with its factory steel wheels included in the sale, along with associated spares and, helpfully, a tax disc from 1981.

1981 BMW 628 CSi

Estimate: no reserve

Designed by Paul Bracq and bodied by Karmann, the iconic first generation of BMW’s 6-series arrived in 1976 with independent suspension, power steering and disc brakes all round.

From 1979, the 628 CSi model became available, equipped with a straight-six engine good for 181bhp and a top speed of 134mph.

1981 BMW 628 CSi (cont.)

The example up for auction with H&H is a white 628 CSi from 1981 and it’s in entirely original specification, unmodified and unmolested – from the engine to the leather seats.

In storage since 1995, remarkably it’s had just one owner since new and has less than 60,000 miles on the clock – marking it out as a prime candidate for restoration.

1964 MGB Roadster

Estimate: £2500 – 3500

The quintessential plucky British sports car, the MGB launched in 1962 as a two-door, soft-top roadster with a novel monocoque chassis.

A 1.8-litre B-series engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission meant it was reliably fun on the road and over a 28-year production run almost 400,000 roadsters left the factory.

1964 MGB Roadster (cont.)

This 1964 example is certainly worse for wear, with everything from the bodywork and paint to the gearbox, interior, electrics and engine described as being in ‘poor’ condition.

Still, with just one owner from new, once dusted off and restored this roadster has the potential to offer plenty of entertainment to a committed new custodian.

1962 Jaguar E-type 3.8 Coupe

Estimate: no reserve

OK, so this one's closer to your standard barn-find: a 1962 3.8-litre Jaguar E-type coupé that's been left untouched in a Scottish garage for the last 35 years – and though there's no reserve, it could fetch more than £30,000.

Taken off the road and laid up in 1983, it's one of just 1779 right-hand drive E-types built to this specification.

1962 Jaguar E-type 3.8 Coupe (cont.)

What's more, it's an all-original, matching-numbers example, complete with its factory body shell, gearbox and engine cylinder head.

Originally finished in dark blue, this '60s sports car now wears a fetching shade of British Racing Green and, while it's certainly in need of some care and attention, all the ingredients are there for a sympathetic restoration to bring it back to its former glory.

Ford Thunderbird

Estimate: no reserve

From one icon to another, this classic slice of pure Americana is in decidedly worse condition than the rest of our barn-find picks.

Launched in 1955, the Ford Thunderbird was designed to compete with the Chevrolet Corvette, offering US drivers the prospect of comfortable cruising in true '50s style

Ford Thunderbird (cont.)

Little is known about this dilapidated Thunderbird. Even the year is a mystery, though its body shape points towards it being a '70s example of the American cruiser.

Doubtless in need of a thorough – and likely expensive – restoration, this left-hand drive example ships with its V8 engine (originality unknown) and a raft of spare parts. Whether they'll be enough to rebuild it is another matter.

1967 Morris Mini Minor Super De-Luxe

Estimate: £6000 – 8000

Last up is this delightful Mini – less a barn-find, more a treasured family possession kept out of sight.

Bought brand new in 1967 as a retirement present, the diminutive Mini was used for family holidays throughout the following decade, until the owner fell ill and the car went unused, eventually being laid up in 1983.

1967 Morris Mini Minor Super De-Luxe (cont.)

Subsequently, the owner gifted the Mini to his son. Raised off the floor on wooden blocks, it remained stabled out of sight and with just 36,000 miles on the clock – a remarkably low number for a 50-year-old car.

It was moved this year for the first time in 35 years, having only ever been driven by one person and still in the ownership of the same family – making it quite the storied motor.

It goes to auction with a host of documents – including the original bill of sale – as well as a spare wheel and, crucially, a tin of BMC tweed grey paint.

H&H's Pavilion Gardens auction takes place in Buxton on Thursday (19 July). You can view a full lot list here.