Rusty cars that could be worth millions

1937 Bugatti Type 57S: $4.4 million
1937 Bugatti Type 57S


















It seems too good to be true. A car that was abandoned and forgotten in a garage for decades is discovered -- and it's worth a mint!

Case in point: This supercharged Bugatti was parked in a garage by its then-owner in the early 1960s and, for some reason, simply left there for half a century.

In February, 2009, this unrestored car was sold at auction for $4.4 million.

But how is it possible that a car worth $4 million can go unnoticed for so many years?

In some cases a car that may not seem particularly exciting to its owner at the time is parked in a barn or garage and forgotten about, said Tom Cotter, author of "The Cobra in the Barn" and several other books about this phenomenon. Only later, when a knowledgeable person finally cracks open the barn door, is its true worth revealed.

Then it's known as a "barn find," and it's rare. For car buffs, it's an almost mythical concept. But, unlike Big Foot and Mermaids, barn finds really do exist.

1964 Shelby Cobra: Up to $625,000
1964 Shelby Cobra: Up to $625,000




















This Shelby Cobra was parked in a shed in the early 1970s and, for the most part, just left there until 2004 when it was finally purchased by a new owner and restored. It's value was really listed by the auctioneers at Gooding & Co. at between $525,000 and $625,000.

1948 Tucker: $800,000
1948 Tucker Sedan: $800,000




















Tuckers are rare cars. Only 51 were made before the company ceased operations in 1949. This one spent 50 years out of sight in a garage. It's not clear why the car was locked up and left in 1956, especially since its owner was a noted Tucker enthusiast. Only after his death was the garage unlocked and the car brought out with only 10,000 miles on the odometer

It was sold at a Gooding & Co. auction last January for $800,000.