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Incredible French barn finds could fetch over $18M [w/video]

We all dream about taking a drive and discovering the mythical barn find of a vintage Shelby Cobra or Porsche Speedster hidden way under a sheet, totally forgotten. An upcoming auction from Artcurial in France on February 6 proves that these treasure troves still really do exist, and this might be one of the ultimate barn finds ever. Decaying away on a French estate, there was a collection of about 100 dirt-covered cars that had been undisturbed for decades, according to The Telegraph. They included all of the great European marques, like Bugatti, Porsche, Maserati, Ferrari and many more. Most of the vehicles were underneath a shed but generally exposed to the elements; however, two very special sports cars were hidden away in a garage (pictured above). In there was a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider with covered headlights. It was one of just 37 made and thought to be lost. Beside the Ferrari was a 1956 Maserati A6G Gran Sport Frua. The collection belonged to Roger Baillon, a French transport magnate, according to Artcurial. He amassed this wonderful collection, but when his business fell on hard times in the '70s, Baillon sold part of the group off. These were the ones he kept, but they eventually went forgotten. Artcurial thinks that only 60 of the cars are actually in salable condition, and they cross the block during the Retromobile Salon in February. The auctioneers believe the Ferrari could sell for as much as 12 million euros (14.74 million) and the Maserati for 1.2 million euros ($1.5 million). Check out the gallery to glimpse the breadth of classics in this collection. Be sure to scroll down for a must-watch, gut-wrenching, patina-laden video showing off the collection and for Artcurial's press release about the sale. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. ??PRESS RELEASE 05.12.2014 BREAKING NEWS: ARTCURIAL DISCOVERS A FORGOTTEN TREASURE IN FRANCE - SALE FRIDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2015 - ?1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider • Chassis 2935 • Ex Alain Delon • Baillon Collection Estimate : 9 500 000 – 12 000 000 ˆ 1956 Maserati A6G Gran Sport Frua • Chassis 2140 • Baillon Collection Estimate : 800 0000 – 1 200 000 ˆ Paris – The Collectors' Car Department at Artcurial has discovered 60 collectors' automobiles, all major marques dating from the early days of the motor car through to the 1970s.

As the iconic Ferrari F40 turns 30, a look back at its development

July 21, 2017 marks the 30th anniversary, to the day, of the Ferrari F40's debut. The F40 is easily one of the greatest Ferraris ever produced: It was one of the first road cars to have a top speed of 200 mph, it celebrated the company's 40th anniversary, and it was the very last model that founder Enzo Ferrari was able to see to completion. To celebrate this historic car's anniversary, Ferrari collected some anecdotes from people who worked on the F40 project, and they reveal some interesting details about the car's development. Among these details was the timeframe for creating the car. Ermanno Bonfiglioli, Head of Special Projects at Ferrari at the time, said that the car was developed in just 13 months. That means everything from the styling to the engine were taken from an idea to a production car in barely over a year. The engine wasn't quite a from-scratch design, though, since it was based on the unreleased 288 GTO Evoluzione's 650-horsepower engine, but it still received many updates to become the 487-horsepower engine we know today. Bonfiglioli highlighted the engine's weight savings due to using magnesium for the oil sump, cylinder head covers, intake manifold, and transmission bellhousing. It was after driving one of those 288 GTO Evoluziones that Pininfarina designer Leonardo Fiorvanti learned about Enzo Ferrari's plan for the F40. He said that after telling Enzo his thoughts on the 288, Enzo told him he wanted to make a "true Ferrari." Fiorvanti also revealed that everyone, including Enzo, knew this would be the last car for the founder. From what Ferrari test driver Bario Benuzzi said about the F40, it certainly didn't start out as a "true Ferrari." He said, "The handling of the first prototypes were poor." But in the short development time, the F40 became the car Enzo wanted, and Benuzzi credits plenty of downforce and the light, stiff chassis. It didn't make the car easy to drive, though. Benuzzi said, "With no power steering, power brakes or electronic devices, it demands the skill and commitment of the driver, but generously repays it with a unique driving experience." Related Video: Featured Gallery Ferrari F40 Ferrari Coupe Supercars Classics ferrari f40

The troubled Alfa Romeo Giulia needs serious help [UPDATE]

UPDATE: An Alfa Romeo US spokesman responded to this article with the following statement: The safety concerns expressed in the story are false. The all-new 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia is designed and engineered to meet or exceed all federal safety regulations. The Alfa Romeo Giulia will begin production for the North American market in the late second-quarter of this year. Alfa Romeo will have a full product portfolio of premium vehicles that includes plans for (8) all-new Alfa Romeo vehicles by 2020. The product launches are prioritized by segment volumes starting this year with the Alfa Romeo Giulia production for North America starting in late Q2, followed by the Midsize-UV – the 2nd largest premium segment in North America. Even on the day you dragged them kicking and screaming and gesticulating wildly to a table full of concrete evidence, Alfa Romeo executives will never admit the Giulia program is going through a tough patch. But it is. Reports say the Giulia, on the eve of production, didn't just fail one internal crash test, but failed the front, side and rear impact tests. Alfa denies it. Automotive News published a report last week saying two suppliers had insisted the Giulia, on the eve of production, didn't just fail one internal crash test, but failed the front-, side-, and rear-impact tests. A third supplier source told us the same thing. Alfa is denying it. It was due on sale in Europe late last year and was supposed to be here in the next month or two. But it wasn't, and it won't. It was to be headlined by a twin-turbo V6 that reportedly howled its way around the Nurburgring 14 seconds faster than the BMW M3 could manage. That second part is only true if you believe it's fair to compare a full lap in a standard BMW M3 with a favorable accumulation of sector times to a development prototype Giulia with 220 pounds stripped out of it and rolling on hand-cut racing slicks. No, me neither. A Promising Start The Giulia's all-new architecture was developed in just two years by a skunkworks of young engineers headed by Fiat's engineering prince, Philippe Krief, and (bafflingly) sited inside Maserati's headquarters complex in Modena, about three hours from Alfa Romeo's own Turin HQ.