Incredible Classic Car Find In Portugal

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by JWBear

Thanks DPR (and Kevy). I thought the story was a little too good to be true.

Ah, but it is not! It is true.

Originally Posted by JWBear

But, it's still and incredible collection. Too bad the owner has just left them to deteriorate.

I don't think the new/current owner is leaving them to deteriorate - at least that is how I read the article.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

Ah, but it is not! It is true....

It sounds like the original collector is still alive. The stash was not found by a new owner who didn't know what was in the barn.

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

Manuel Menezes Morais shot the photos, but he was sworn to secrecy about the cars' location and the owner's name. However, he was able to obtain permission from the elusive owner to give me the following information:

The owner of the cars was a car dealer in the 1970s and 1980s, and decided to save the more interesting cars that came through his doors. When the barn was full, he padlocked and "soldered" the doors shut. (Perhaps welding was too permanent.)

Web sites varied on the number of cars: 58, 100, and 180 were speculated. According to Morais, there are 180 cars in the barn.

And, aw shucks, none of the cars is for sale.

Clara was able to determine that the cars are located somewhere in the area of Sintra, near Lisbon.

I asked Morais if he could ask the owner if he had a favorite car. "He has lots of good cars in very good condition," he says, "but he loves the Lancia Aurelia B24. He has two."