£3m Bugatti found gathering dust

A Newcastle man has been hiding a fleet of classic cars for 48 years, but his death has finally uncovered the amazing collection. And the star of the antiques road show, a Bugatti Type 57S Atlante, is now expected to fetch a whopping £3m at auction.

Newcastle doctor and former army surgeon Harold Carr, who died in 2007, had amassed a personal car collection including the Bugatti, a classic Aston Martin and a Jaguar E-Type - all of which have been bequeathed to his family.

Due to be sold at Bonhams' 'Retromobile' auction in Paris next month, the Bugatti is one of just 17 Type 57S Atlantes built, and was once owned by Earl Howe, co-founder and former President of the British Racing Drivers' Club. James Knight, international chief of Bonhams' motoring department, has called the car "one of the last great barn discoveries."

Dr Carr drove the car from 1955 until 1960, before parking it in his garage and leaving it there. It has a mere 26,284 miles on the clock. Carr's nephew, a Newcastle engineer, said: "Of course we're delighted and we're going to make sure the money is shared out among the family. It's a wonderful thing to leave."

The Type 57S Atlante is extremely rare, with four thought to be owned by the Musee Nationale de L'Automobile in France, and the rest with private collectors - though it's difficult to ascertain exactly how many of the two-seat pre-war sports cars have survived.

Mark Nichol