The Bugatti, a black two-seater, was delivered to Earl Howe, the first president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club and a winner of the 24 Hour Le Mans race, soon after it was completed on May 5, 1937. He kept the car for eight years, adding personal touches including a luggage rack, after which it changed hands a couple of times before Dr. Carr bought it from Lord Ridley, a member of the Northumberland gentry, in 1955.
He drove the car for a few years, but by the early 1960s it was parked in his garage, where it remained until after his death. It has exceptional originality, retaining original chassis, engine and drivetrain. Even the odometer gives a mileage of only 26,284, although the vehicle is almost 72 years old.
Dr. Carr’s nephew said, “It was one of the original supercars. When it was built it could reach 130 m.p.h. when most cars could only do 50.”
The Bugatti will be a highlight of the Bonhams auction at Retromobile in Paris next month. Experts said the car could fetch $4.3 million or more, reports The Associated Press.
Dr. Carr’s nephew, who asked not to have his name published, told the Times of London that the discovery stunned the family.
“It’s amazing, really,” he said. “It’s worth so much because he hasn’t used it for 50 years.”
The car was hardly a secret among classic-car cognescenti. Dr. Carr’s nephew said his uncle had received many letters from collectors all over Britain asking him to part with the Bugatti. “He got notes pushed through his door,” he said.


http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009...ish-garage/?hp