Anyone with a passing interest in barn finds (so that’s all of us, right?) will know that the usual fare is a rotting Barracuda or sports car in a hedge. Ultimately, the thrill in a barn find tends to be in finding something interesting covered in dust, not usually millions and millions of dollars of rare metal rotting in an actual barn.
In 2015, that’s exactly what happened, and it was the barn find that changed everything. Not only were there long-lost, almost mythical models unearthed, but also just rows upon rows of classic cars, some beyond repair. Even if you weren’t someone with an eye for restoring a classic Ferrari, this was the ultimate barn find heaven.
The Barn Find That Could Instantly Break Records
This iconic American car lived in a barn for decades, but now it’s worth a fortune.
The Baillon Barn Find Shocked The World
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The same as you and me, Roger Baillon, an entrepreneur with a transport company in the west of France, loved his cars and never really wanted to part with them. Unlike you and me, however, this wasn’t a polished and well-used Mustang or Trans Am; this was a collection of more than 100 classic post-war cars, some of which were catnip for collectors. Baillon wasn’t planning on selling his collection at any point; instead keeping them in barns and other buildings at a French farm in the hope of one day opening a museum. That never happened. He was forced to sell around 50 cars in the ’70s, and the dream of opening the museum started to deteriorate as quickly as some of the vehicles that were more exposed to the elements.
The Barn Find Had Many Secrets
But tucked away in outbuildings and under dilapidated corrugated iron shelters were models from illustrious brands such as Maserati, Ferrari, Hispano-Suiza, Panhard et Levassor, Delahaye, Delage, and even Bugatti, with some rare, unique creations, and a number of vehicles custom-built by the world’s best coachbuilders, all stashed in various corners of the estate. Ballion was said to have died in the mid-2000s, leaving all the cars to his son, who died around a decade later, the cars still slowly perishing in the elements.
It was then that the family decided to see what they were worth — reportedly, no one had realized the true value of the collection — and Artcurial and Classic Driver photographer Rémi Dargegen were contacted. Dargegen, a snapper with plenty of years to be hardened to classic car finds, was awestruck. “It’s amazing, just amazing. The place is incredible… the most impressive thing is the sheer quantity of cars hidden in the barns,” he told Classic Driver excitedly. “Never again, anywhere in the world, will such a treasure be unearthed,” added Pierre Novikoff, motor car specialist at Artcurial auction house. So what exactly had they found?
The Baillon Find Contained One Of The Greatest Sports Cars Of All Time
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The Baillon collection was undoubtedly a treasure trove of incredible cars, but there was one that stood out above all others – or rather, it would have done, had it not been partially hidden beneath piles of magazines. Underneath a few bound periodicals, a wooden crate or two, and some duvets, was the unmistakable nose of one of the world’s most famous cars. It was a Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider.
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Yes, the one from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (although that was a replica). The car’s first owner was comedian Gérard Blain, before reportedly being sold to actor Alain Delon, who would apparently drive it around accompanied by Jane Fonda and later Shirley MacLaine on the Côte d’Azur. As far as the history and provenance of a classic car go, that’s hard to beat.
The 250 Wasn’t The Only Heavy Hitter
Then there were the other big discoveries, such as a number of Talbot-Lago T26s, including a rare Grand Sport Aérodynamique once owned by King Farouk. There was also one of just three Maserati A6G 2000 Berlinettas with coachwork by Frua, a 1966 Ferrari 275GTB Berlinetta, a Faget-Varnet-bodied Delahaye, one of just two surviving examples, a Facel Vega Excellence, as well as vehicles with bodies from famous coachbuilders. While the cars were fascinating in their crumbling surroundings, as with any good barn find, it was soon time to send 60 of them to auction.
The Baillon Barn Find Sent Collectors Into A Frenzy
In January 2015, 60 of the cars went up for auction in western France. The motoring world went into a collective frenzy, with Matthieu Lamoure, managing director of Artcurial Motorcars, saying the Baillon collection was like “Lord Carnarvon entering Tutankhamun’s tomb”. Collectors and enthusiasts lined up not just to try and get their hands on these iconic vehicles, but just to get a glimpse of them. As is typical of these kinds of sales, the cars weren’t polished up for the auction, but rather left in pretty much the state they were found, which just adds to the hype. Here’s what happened at the sale.
The Ferrari 250 GT California Was The Star Of The Show
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Any time a rare 1961 Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spider goes up for sale, expect a lot of interest. This is a car that Radio DJ Chris Evans paid $6.7 million for in 2008 (his was owned by actor James Coburn), which did nothing to quell the hype surrounding this particular model. The car in the Baillon collection was one of just 37 California Spider SWBs with covered headlights and was completely original, and never restored. The car shattered its auction estimate, which was set at roughly $11,000,000, eventually selling for €16,288,000, or around $19,178,875.
Other Highlights Of The Sale
The 1956 Maserati A6G 2000 also caused a stir, selling for $2.2M, while the 1966 Ferrari 275GTB Berlinetta fetched $2.2M too. The 1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport SWB sold for $1.9M. But while these seven-figure cars are certainly the highlights of the show, the vehicles that sold for the least are similarly fascinating. The hammer went down on a 1987 Lancia Thema 8.32 Berline, the company’s four-door sleeper sedan with active aerodynamics and a Ferrari V8 from the 308 QV under the hood. This car was used by Jacques Baillon, the son of Roger Baillon, and covered an impressive 97,000 miles. The car had an estimate of just $2,300, but sold for $9,700.
Barn Find Friday: A Superbird Jackpot, A Forgotten GT-R, And A One-Of-One Ferrari
This week’s barn finds have everything: tears, tire smoke, and a one-of-one Ferrari.
Other Important Barn Find Discoveries
Few barn finds have caught the attention of the global automotive world quite like the Baillon Collection, but some have come close. The collection of German businessman Rudi Klein, which had gathered in a California junkyard, was one such find. This rare selection of classic cars was auctioned off in October 2024 by RM Sotheby’s and included vehicles like sought-after Porsche 356s and Lamborghini Miuras.
Then there was Dutch collector Ad Palmen’s stash of 230 cars, which included models from Maserati, Lancia, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Aston Martin, BMW, Facel Vega, and even a 1.6-liter Opel Vectra from 1998. Then there was the recent discovery of a 1966 Ford GT40 Mk I road car, chassis P/1056 – aka the grandaddy of all barn finds. Who knows how many barns still have cars left in them, but if you are passing one, and have the permission from the owner, you never know what you might find if you look inside.
Sources: Hagerty.com; Artcurial.com
