Classic Bugatti cars found in barn

A trio of treasured Bugattis kept locked in a barn for years by the family of an artist could sell for a small fortune when they are auctioned next week. Belgian sculptor August Thomassen purchased the three vehicles in the late 1950s and early 1960s when they were practically worthless to everyone but him. His daughter told the De Telegraaf newspaper that he loved their engineering and unusual styling. He kept them running and used them as daily drivers for years, becoming such a fan of the brand that he sculpted a bust of the automaker's founder, Ettore Bugatti, which today resides at the National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, France. His 1932 Bugatti Type 49 Berline and 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet each feature custom coachwork, as was the practice of the day. He was creating his own for a 1929 Type 40 after it was damaged in an accident, but never quite finished the job. Its exposed wood frame still waits for new body panels to be hand-formed and attached to it. Over the years, as the value of the cars increased, Thomassen received many offers from interested parties who had heard about them, but he had no interest in letting them go at any price. "We regularly had enthusiasts at the door who wanted to buy the cars," his daughter said. "But my father refused to sell them. Even though we hardly had money as a family. You can safely say that we were poor." ------------------ Link - http://bit.ly/2BbsUGP

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