As anyone that has read Barn Finds for any length of time knows, I’m the resident British car nut. Yes, the other guys like MG’s & Triumphs, but I’ve had them since I was 12 and have owned somewhere around 50 (and haven’t had the time yet to write up the most recent find/purchase). So when our own Jeff L. sent me an email with “Has your name all over it” as the subject line, I had an idea what it might be. However, not even in my wildest dreams would I have envisioned this! 23 British cars, 11 mostly British motorcycles, a beautiful enclosed trailer, shelves full of parts and all the tools you’d ever need. Wow. Now if only I had a quarter million hanging around! The collection is located in Clearwater, Florida and is up for sale here on eBay with a buy it now of $250,000 and lower offers being considered.
Here’s the list of cars. Note that I have made some corrections from the online listing based on the pictures. Right up my alley!
| Year | Make | Model | Color | Title |
| 1959 | Austin Healey | Bug Eye | Red | Yes |
| 1959 | Austin Healey | Bug Eye | Cream | No |
| 1959 | Austin Healey | Bug Eye | Red | Yes |
| 1961 | Austin Healey | 3000 MKIII | Black | Yes |
| ? | Austin Healey | Bug Eye | Blue | Yes |
| 1950 | MG | TD | White | ? |
| 1950 | MG | TD | Black | ? |
| 1951 | MG | TD | Red | Yes |
| 1951 | MG | TD | Frame Only | No |
| 1953 | MG | TD | Red | Yes |
| 1959 | MG | Magnette | Black | Yes |
| 1960 | MG | ? | Red | Yes |
| 1960 | MG | MGA | White | Yes |
| 1960 | MG | MGB | Cream | No |
| 1964 | MG | Midget | Red | Yes |
| 1974 | MG | MGB | Red | ? |
| 1975 | MG | MGB | Burgundy | Yes |
| ? | MG | MGB | Red | ? |
| 1957 | Triumph | TR3 | Grey | No |
| 1961 | Triumph | TR3A | Yellow | Yes |
| 1969 | Triumph | TR6 | White | Yes |
| 1974 | Triumph | TR6 | Yellow | Yes |
| 1976 | Triumph | Spitfire | Green | Yes |
And here are the bikes:
| Year | Make | Model | Color | Title |
| ? | BSA | Bantom | Yes | |
| ? | BSA | Bantom | Yes | |
| 1968 | Norton | N15CS 745cc | Black | Yes |
| 1949 | Sunbeam | S7 Deluxe | Grey | Yes |
| 1949 | Sunbeam | S8 | Red | Yes |
| 1976 | Suzuki | 750 | Yes | |
| 1968 | Triumph | Bonneville | Grey | Yes |
| 1968 | Triumph | Bonneville | Grey | Yes |
| 1971 | Triumph | Trophy | Yes | |
| 1979 | Triumph | 750 Special | Yes | |
| 1981 | Yamaha | 550 Max | Yes |
This is the trailer. It looks pretty darn nice as well!
Here’s four of the Triumphs. All of them look pretty decent, don’t they?
And four of the MG’s. There are two TD’s that look pretty good, and also two solid looking MGA’s.
A Bugeye, Austin-Healey 3000, MG Magnette and a TR3A round out the car pictures.
And finally, the motorcycles.
I wish I could make this happen for me, but it’s not going to. Anyone for a group buy?
C’mon megamillions. I’d scoop this up in a heartbeat.
Looks like a business opportunity to me.
I think calling it a rare collection is pushing it though. They all look like good flippers, or keepers.
Did you do the math on the overall value?
Look very careful and read exactly what he is selling for 250k. Add up the total values and you will see, they do not come close to 250k. As a long time Triumph, Healey, Sunbeam and MG collector, I can tell. Buying a group of cars together is very tricky. Be careful.
Probably worth it if they included the real estate.
“a pretty extensive and RARE collection of cars”
Yes, a collection of 23 cars plus 11 bikes is rare, but the cars themselves are not rare.
I don’t know how to value the bikes, so call it $200K for the 23 cars = about $8700 per car. Some of them are probably worth that, but not all are. The seller will not split them up, so you need a guy with a quarter million who is willing, and my guess is that will be a very rare person. Maybe even rarer is a guy with a quarter million and the required space and ambition to deal with all these vehicles.
The seller will probably need to have a giant garage sale or auction. He could probably liquidate most of it in a day if it was advertised well. And he does need to think of it a liquidation. It’s a ‘collection’ to him, but not too many other people are going to look at it that way.
My guess would be he put the $250,000 price on it to keep away the idiots, but would sell for far less. I’ve bought many collections and the price is set high to keep the price real in the end. Money talks.
23 British cars and not one good Lucas electrical harness between them.
Lol! Best reply yet.
Now Bill….LMAO, cause it’s true..goes for the British bikes of that time also..had several Nortons try to catch fire..
Hi Bill. I see you’ve come to know ‘Lucas, Prince of Darkness’ too. Actually I found with Lucas electrics, the best way to deal with them is to TRY to understand them, and then Americanize them; get rid of those thousands of ‘EARTH’ wires and just use a good ground. It also pays to translate those wiring diagrams into READABLE English. Like, what the hell color is dark, light, or medium? I believe it was in ‘Motorcyle Electrics Without Pain,’ by Kurt Hendricks that he wrote (Quote): “The Japanese are kind enough to label their wiring diagrams in English, while the Germans arrogantly label theirs in German, and the English label theirs in Martian.’ Close Quote.
Folks–
Take a look at the ad. It’s not just the cars and bikes. LOTS of tools, parts, the trailer (having just bought one that isn’t cheap either). English wheel, casting setup…we’re not talking chump change here!
I’ll agree that none of the cars are particularly rare, but apart from the Spitfire, MGB and the Midget they aren’t run of the mill either.
Right…I had lost sight of those things for a moment. But even forgetting the quarter million $ price, I don’t see this big group of cars / bikes / tools / parts and the trailer being something that many people could even consider. Almost nobody has the space to store all that, let alone shelter it all from the weather. He’s got to either get very lucky, split it up into lots, or bring in an auction service if it’s going to be saved.
BSA Bantam as in the chicken.
Not sure I’m catching the Bantam reference to BSA. BSA originally stood for Birmingham Small Arms.
I like the Norton and the Sunbeam motorcycles but I’m disappointed to see a collection like this and not one MG TF. I must be a lone wolf because the TF is my all time favorite MG, and when people hear this they immediately pull out their crosses and hold them out at me.
If you get board the top shelf is full of model airplanes.
You forgot to list that Spitfire. No Mustangs here either.
I am in…, more the merrier. 250k divided by x pieces, lets figure it out. I need a TR3 to round out my collection.
TD’s are cool, but i like TC’s, so spindly, so delicate.. so British. ANd Sir Lucas never failed me, ah, at least completely. Lol
Why people insist on selling entire groups of cars to one buyer I will never understand. As mentioned, they would be better of selling the cars one by one.
Hmm, Tampa Bay Pawn,,,,looks like someone lived life a little too large and the bottom fell out. Some great stuff here, but shows how out of hand this got. For me, I’d have a few nice ones, and concentrate on that, rather than 34 vehicles and none of them seem usable. Probably the classic example of selling off dad’s collection.( to help defray the astronomical cost of dad’s final days)
If I had the money I would buy this as a basis for a new retirement business of used British car parts and supplies. I don’t know if I would make any money but I know I would have fun being surrounded by this stuff and talking to people looking for parts or projects.
Dan, that would be my dream. Seriously!