An extraordinary collection of classic cars that were recently discovered in the west of France, will headline the Artcurial Retromobile 2015 auction, scheduled for 6th February in Paris. The Baillon Collection consists of 60 automobiles which were recently found after fifty years of sitting idle in various farm-like outbuildings. The included major marques dating from the early days of the motor car through to the 1970s, with the stand out car being a Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider.
This impressive array of cars were put together during the 1950s by Roger Baillon, a car enthusiast who owned his own transport company. He loved cars so much he even exhibited a roadster that he had built at the Paris Motor Show during the 1950s. His dream was to preserve the pre-war automobiles in his very own museum, however during the 1970’s – before he could carry out the necessary restoration work – his dream was shattered when his business ran into financial difficulty. He was forced to sell around fifty cars, and since then, the rest of his collection remained untouched until this recent discovery.
Matthieu Lamoure, Managing Director at Artcurial Motorcars, said, “Not since the revelation of the Schlumpf Collection in Mulhouse, of which Maître Hervé Poulain was the expert, has such a group of emblematic automobiles been disclosed and what is more, in such original condition! 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. Artcurial will put on show the magic of these sixty mysterious mechanical creatures, like a giant work of art: the unrealised dream of its owner brought back to life.”
Among the cars in the collection is one of just three Maserati A6G Gran Sports with coachwork by Frua, dating from 1956 (estimated to sell for around €800,000 – €1,000,000, a Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, Talbot-Lago, Panhard-Levassor, Maserati, Ferrari, Delahaye, Delagea and a Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, with covered headlights.
Not only is the Ferrari an extremely rare and sought after car but it also had an interesting history, having been bought from new by actor Gérard Blain, then sold to fellow actor Alain Delon, who was photographed several times driving the car – including in 1964 with Jane Fonda during the filming of ‘Les Félins’ and on the Côte d’Azur with Shirley MacLaine. One of just 37 examples, this Pininfarina-designed cabriolet is expected to sell for around €9,500,000 – €12,000,000.
