1930s Bugatti sells for £3m

Feb 8 2009 by Rob Pattinson, Sunday Sun

AS THE hammer finally fell on the £3,043,293 sale of a forgotten Bugatti, one man simply looked down at his watch.

The sale of the 1937 Atalante — uncovered in a North garage after half a century — drew to a close the adventure of a lifetime for Dr Harold Carr’s nephew.

In among the bidders and excited car fanatics at the Retromobile car show in Paris, the Rolex on his wrist became his last remaining possession inherited from his eccentric uncle. And one he will never sell.

Today, Dr Carr’s eight heirs are getting to grips with the £380,000 share of the fortune they have all come into thanks to a telephone bid from a buyer, whose identity has not been revealed.

Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Sun, Harry’s nephew revealed the plans for his cash, and his relief at finally seeing the Bugatti sold.

The engineer, from Gosforth, Newcastle — who does not wish to be named — said: “We’re obviously absolutely delighted the car has sold, but the whole experience has been quite overwhelming.

“It was quite nerve-wracking in the run-up to the auction.

“I’m going to miss it in a way. That’s why I will never sell uncle Harry’s watch. I actually had it fixed and fitted with a new strap so I could bring it to Paris with me.

“But taking care of a car like that was actually quite a responsibility. I feel Harry would be proud that we’ve done the right thing, and the Bugatti has gone to an owner who will really appreciate it.

“But I’m looking forward to getting on with my life again.

“Since the sale, we’ve been having a great time in Paris and Bonhams have really looked after us. No matter what happened, it was always the plan for us to hit the town and head for the Moulin Rouge.

“Then, hopefully, it will all start to sink in over the next couple of days. I’m a realist anyway, so I’m sure that will happen. One of the first things I have to do is make sure all the heirs get their share. That goes without saying.

“Then I want to pay off the mortgage on my house and make sure my wife never needs to work again. Then, of course, we will be giving some away. It’s only right to do some good with the money.

“After that, it’s just simple things, and back to work for me. Although I might treat myself to some car racing at some point.”