Sometimes when we least expect it, we can find a fortune in the most unlikely of places. This was certainly the case for one lucky Melbourne native, who recently discovered the real value of an old car her husband had stored in their chicken shed in the Dandenong Ranges some years earlier.
During ABC Radio host Jon Faine’s long running show about rare and collectable motor vehicles, the unsuspecting Melbourne woman phoned in to tell Faine about a vintage Italian motor car that had been gathering dust for the last few years in her chicken coop.
The Melbourne resident told vintage car enthusiast, Jon Faine, about an extremely rare 1923 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8 which her husband had bought some years ago. The woman told the show’s listeners, that the plan had been to fix-up the old car, but that her husband had not yet gotten round to restoring it. The eighty-five year old Italian car is an extremely rare example of a classic make rivalled by the likes of Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin.
Thanks to ABC’s popular phone-in show, the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8 in question was quickly snapped up by vintage car collector Glenn Olsen. Olsen plans to restore the car to its former glory when it will be worth an estimated one million dollars. However, to complete the restoration project, Glenn Olsen is looking for the return of the Isotta Fraschini’s original dashboard, which was stolen from the Dandenong Ranges when it sat in the former owner’s chicken shed.
Upon hearing about the rare chicken shed find, Paul Mathers of Motorclassica – the Australian International Concours d’Elegance and Classic Motor Show – commented: “It’s an amazing story – it is a hidden treasure … and it was right here in Melbourne and no-one knew.”
For most of us, finding a million dollar car hidden away on a family homestead is something we could only dream about. Although seven figure price tag Isottas and Rolls-Royces are unlikely finds, if you consider yourself a keen bargain hunter, keep an eye out for other vintage cars. A range of well-looked after Australian race cars, Holdens, Valiants and Falcons have been appearing on the vintage car market in recent years.
David Bowden, a renowned and respected Australian motor car collector discovered a 1965 Ford Mustang driven by race car driver Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan. Bowden found the slightly damaged treasure locked up in storage in New Zealand and restored it to its former glory.
Although not all great motor finds are so prestigious, there are still some great treasures to be found for keen enthusiasts. Remember the 1966 Volkswagen Kombi that was discovered behind a pig farm in the outback of Victoria, or the 1937 Jaguar SS bought and restored by collector Bill Coomb, who rescued the motor from an old shed in Oakleigh, Melbourne. So remember, when you’re passing an old shed – always pop your head in to see if there’s a vintage classic waiting to be found.
More details about this story can be found on the original posting here.
