When 89-year-old Harold Carr passed away, he left behind what seemed to be a modest collection of belongings. His family thought they would quickly sort through his possessions and discard most of them.
However, when they opened the door to his dilapidated garage, they were in for the surprise of their lives.
Harold Carr was a recluse known for his eccentricity and love for collecting things, particularly cars. While rumors had circulated that he owned a highly sought-after car, nobody knew for sure what lay hidden in his garage.
It was Harold's niece and nephew who were tasked with cleaning out the old man's garage, expecting to find nothing more than junk. To their astonishment, they discovered a dusty sports car—a Bugatti 57S Atalante, one of only 43 ever made.
Photo: Private
The car's history
The car was initially owned by Francis Curzon, a wealthy parliamentarian and motorsport enthusiast. It had changed hands several times before ending up in Harold Carr's garage around 1955.
Alongside the Bugatti, the family also found a classic Aston Martin, which also turned out to be valuable, though not as much as the Bugatti. The estimated value of the Bugatti alone ranged between $7.000.000 and $8.500.000.
The family also stumbled upon several letters from interested buyers offering huge sums for Harold Carr's rare cars. "It was a bit of a legend that he owned a Bugatti, but none of us had any idea how much it was really worth," Harold's nephew told The Mirror.
