Representative image of a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California. (Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons)
A collection of approximately 60 classic cars was found on a farm in western France and fetched a hammer price of €16.288 million at auction in February 2015, according to The Guardian. Among the cars, one stood out: a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider previously owned by French actor Alain Delon. The collection came to light in 2014 after Artcurial auctioneers received information about the vehicles, and the property’s exact location was kept confidential by the auction house. Other cars found on the farm included a Citroën Type C 5 HP Torpedo, a Delahaye 235 coachbuilt by Chapron and a Sandford Type S Cyclecar. Representative image of Alain Delon. (Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons) The Ferrari’s ownership history and auction result According to the Art Hit Parade , the first Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1960 and completed by Scaglietti that May. Actor Gérard Blain purchased it before Alain Delon acquired it in 1963 and had the car registered in Monaco. Later, photographs showed Delon with the Ferrari alongside actresses Jane Fonda and Shirley MacLaine, and by 1964 he took the car to California with his wife, Nathalie. In 1965, Delon sold the Ferrari to Paul Bouvot, the head of Peugeot’s styling centre at that time, who retained it for a year before selling it away. After going through several owners, the car was added to the Baillon collection in November 1971, expanding the prestigious collection that his father, Roger Baillon, started in the 1950s. Out of the 52 short-wheelbase California Spiders produced, only 37 were fitted with covered headlights, and this car belonged to that exclusive group.
For decades, the cars had eluded public view, and several of them showed signs of deterioration after spending years in makeshift shelters. The find brought together rare models from manufacturers including Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, Talbot-Lago, Panhard-Levassor, Maserati, Ferrari, Delahaye and Delage. The discovery and its historical significance While travelling across France in search of rare automotive pieces, Artcurial managing director Matthieu Lamoure and senior specialist Pierre Novikoff received a tip. On pursuing the lead, they visited the farm, which contained different cars, some affected by rust or vegetation, and in certain places corrugated iron rested directly on the cars. For Novikoff, uncovering the collection felt like stepping into a cross between a metallic graveyard and a museum. The auctioneer even compared the find to discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun, underscoring the collection’s exceptional size and the variety of its models. The range of manufacturers and vehicle types demonstrated the breadth of the collection, which Artcurial planned to sell in the same condition in which they had been found. King Farouk of Egypt’s Talbot-Lago T26 Cabriolet was also found among the vehicles; he was the country’s last monarch who had developed a reputation for extravagant taste which extended to automobiles. The car’s royal provenance distinguished it from other vehicles in the collection and added another notable historical connection to the discovery. Ultimately, the discovery allowed collectors an opportunity to acquire cars that had spent decades outside the usual classic-car market. The Artcurial catalogue recorded that the Ferrari’s surviving records included old registration documents and insurance papers which still carried Delon’s name. Another important feature about the car was its production rarity, which made it particularly sought after by collectors. The sale brought the car’s decades-long history into public view, after it had gone into Delon’s ownership, before ending up in the Baillon collection. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
