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Inside this abandoned haul barn, while some are rusty and appear to be in their worst state, this barn still contains some neat and well-cultured French classic cars. Some of these cars are in a condition not far from what we can call mint. Although not all cars are in a fairly good condition, while some look the worst on the outside it's still pristine on the inside.
On the 2nd of July 2022, the French auction company, Artcurial, will auction the car collection discovered by Antoine Mahé, at the Le Mans Classic auction.
These cars were owned by Pierre Heron, who recently passed away. He had about 30 cars in his car collections and some tucked away at a museum in Château de Meillant.
Heron was an obsessive lover of luxury vehicles. That's possibly why these exquisite incredible cars were found where he abandoned them: Talbot-Lagos, Delahaye, and Hotchkiss-Grégoire models.
Valuable French Barn-Find With Front Wheeled Classic And Salmson's Final
Heron was an obsessive lover of Grégoire cars. That's possibly why seven of the incredible Hotchkiss-Grégoire front-wheel-drive cars were found in his barn.
The Salmson 2300 coupe was possibly the last vehicle produced by Salmson, an automobile manufacturer, in 1953 before the company was sold to Renault following its bankruptcy in 1957.
One of its examples has dilapidated; possibly, a revamp would fix it and bounce it back to make a great bargain.
The second Salmson 2309 coupe found is in a better shape than the previous. It would not cost so much to restore it. It is a black racing car perfect to race at Le Man's competition. Not only that, but it uses a 2.3litre twin-cam 4-cylinder engine with a maximum speed of 110 mph.
Heron could not fit all his exotic cars into his barn, carport, and shed because they were too many for his space. He bought an old cinema in his village and stored some of these cars there.
Valuable French Barn-Find: Abandoned At The Cinema
A Talbot Lago T26 convertible was also parked at the old cinema. Its exterior has been revamped. It has its beautiful interior still intact as it was from purchase.
Heron acquired more than 30 luxury vehicles during his work tours around Europe between the '60s and '70s. He had to look for a shelter for his luxury vehicles. He converted an old cinema into a shelter for his cars because his barns and sheds couldn't contain his cars anymore.
There is another Talbot Lago with a Hotchkiss Gregoire abandoned at the cinema. The Talbot is a coupe with a pair of headlights, while the Hotchkiss is a big luxury vehicle produced between 1950-1954. However, it doesn't match up with its British rivals in its era. It still maintains the usual French styling. It uses a front-wheel drivetrain and has massive passenger space.
On the other floor are seven cars: four Hotchkiss Gregoire saloon cars, a Talbot Lago T26 coupe, a convertible, and a saloon with the fancy Salmson coupe.
All the cars didn't make it into the Herons' snug shelter. Some were found outside, in the open, at the carports. Surprisingly even some of the most gorgeous cars like the Delahaye, Hotchkiss Gregoire, Hislank Suiza, and talbot Lagos were abandoned outside.
Valuable French Barn-Find: The Oldest Among The Oldies
The Hispanic T49 coupe is one of the oldest in the abandoned collections. It has a powerful straight-six engine and gives a top speed of 100 mph.
Another strong performance Delahaye 135M with a 3557cc straight 6-engine had its stunning exterior fabricated by the famous French coach builder Henri Chapron. Its blinkers and roof rack have been changed.
There's also an abandoned Delahaye 148L convertible at the cinema. It is in a dilapidated state. Its white hood is tattered, its body rusty, and its body painting is also crazed. A revamp would get it back as an amazing touring car.
Valuable French Barn-Find: The Forgotten Convertibles & Other Hidden Treasures
The rare luxury Talbot Lago T26 GSL has its body made of aluminum and steel over a steel chassis. It was first displayed in 1953. The car uses a 4882cc straight6 engine with 207 hp at 450 rpm. The engine is sufficient to push it through 0-60mph in 12 secs and has a top speed of 122 mph.
This Figoni and Falaschi built Delahaye 35ms convertible in the barn is likely the example that emerged on the Delahaye's stand at the Paris motor show in 1948.
Also, there is a black 2-doored Delahaye 135 sports coupe with green stripes. This car was found in a fairly good state, but its front bumper has been removed.
There is also a Tracta Gregoire sports coupe with a flat 4-engine.
At the back of the tract is a Talbot Lago T6 coach. It looks tatty on the outside. Shockingly it has a neat dashboard.
In Herons other garages, there's a Hitchkuss Gregoire saloon. It seems to be undergoing some repair. It was produced between 1950-1954 with just 247 units made.