Dr.
Harold Carr, an orthopedic surgeon, had always been the town’s “mad doctor.”
People in his neighborhood remember him as “a very eccentric old gent,” who would wear two pairs of trousers at the same time. Yet, although Dr. Carr was a bit odd, he was always a generous man.
Before Dr. Carr died at the age of 89, he formed an obsessive compulsive disorder and hoarded everything.
So, when Dr. Carr’s nephew and niece went into his home to clear out his possessions following his death, they expected the worst.
Not surprisingly, Dr. Carr’s home was packed with piles of medical machinery, thousands of receipts, and more.
But, the biggest surprise was revealed when Dr. Carr’s niece and nephew went in to their uncle’s garage.
Guess what they found?
A 1937 Bugatti Atalante 57S.
For those who may not know much about cars, only 17 cars were ever built for this particular model.
And Dr. Carr’s model had only 26,284 miles on the clock, and had 99% of its original parts as well.
Its estimated worth is about $8.5 million, which is about 110 times more than what Dr. Carr paid Jack Barclays for it in 1955.
According to James Knight of the Bugatti’s future auctioneer Bonhams, Dr. Carr’s Bugatti “is incredibly original and, although she requires restoration, it is ‘restoration’ in the true sense of the word… save for some of the interior, all original parts can be restored or conserved in order to maintain originality.”
After doing some more digging and organizing, Dr. Carr’s family found an extensive file of correspondence documenting its history.
It turned out that Dr. Carr had originally bought this car from Lord Ridley. He then stored the car in his garage after its last tax disc expired in 1960, where it remained until now.
The Carr family had the auction house Bonhams to sell the car, and the proceeds were shared between eight relatives who inherited Dr.Carr’s estate.
What an amazing discovery!