Local Barn Find

Barn finds are always exciting and this one, as it is just down the road from us here in Suffolk, is extra exciting as the two cars discovered are going up for sale in an auction hosted by Reeman Danise on Saturday 16th November.

1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Type A Cabriolet (Reg. FCF 902D)

With only three owners since new, this left-hand-drive 1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Type A Cabriolet has a very interesting history.

The car was originally bought by a British Army Intelligence Corps officer on 28th September 1960 from Autohaus Mauss in Düsseldorf. Painted in classic white with green leather upholstery and a black roof, it accompanied its owner throughout his service abroad.

In 1962, the car was shipped to Cyprus, where it saw (and survived) a local riot. A projectile cracked its windscreen and this crack is still there today! When the officer was due to return to England in 1964, he didn’t want to leave the car behind. Instead, he drove it on a month-long journey with his wife, across Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia, Italy, Austria, Germany, Holland, and Belgium before finally arriving in England.

It is being sold with a collection of historical documents, including the original 1952 German logbook, the 1960 bill of sale, a 1958 service book, military petrol ration cards, a Republic of Cyprus registration document, the official 1964 travel permit covering all countries visited, entry permits for Beirut, English import documents, service records, photos from its travels, and an official workshop manual.

The car was taken off the road in the 1970s and has been in the same spot ever since.

Estimate: £30,000 – £35,000

Full details can be seen here.

1921 Talbot-Darracq 16hp V21 Open Tourer (Reg. XH5797)

Keeping the Mercedes company all these years was a 1921 Talbot-Darracq 16hp open tourer. Originally designed in 1913 but reintroduced after World War I when the factory switched back to car production (it was used to manufacture aircraft during the war), it has a 3-litre, four-cylinder engine, and, quite impressively considering it is from the 1920s, had a top speed of 45 miles per hour.

The car was purchased by the late owner’s husband in 1967 from CJ Bendall Ltd in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, for £750. Amazingly, the original bill of sale, purchase cheque, and a photo of the couple standing beside their new car are included in the sale. It has green and black coachwork, a black buttoned leather interior, and a canvas roof.

After being used frequently by its past owner, it underwent a sympathetic mechanical restoration in the 1970s and early 1980s, with the last MOT obtained in 1982. Since then, it has been sitting in the barn, with its engine periodically being turned over.

The car comes with a history file containing old logbooks, receipts for restoration work in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as some photographs.

Estimate: £6,000 – £8,000

Full details can be seen here.