A 1934 British sports car spent 40 years hidden in a barn; in 2026 it sold for £62,000 after bids started at £500

A rare 1934 Crossley Streamline spent 40 years hidden in a barn before being sold for £62,000 at a 2026 auction. The classic car, one of only two known to exist, was among seven rare pre-war vehicles discovered in a Cambridgeshire barn and later offered by Humbert & Ellis Ltd. Bidding for the vintage car started at just £500 before more than 100 bids were placed by international buyers. The barn-find classic car still carried its original registration plate, ANB 487, and was described as a vintage concept car conceived by Sir Denniston Burney. The auction generated worldwide interest in the rare vehicle.How a £500 opening bid turned into a £62,000 saleThe auction began with bidding at £500. There were 100 bids from people overseas, highlighting the international interest surrounding the car during the auction. The vehicle eventually sold for £62,000. According to Cambridgeshire Live, bidding started at £500 and then increased, with more than 100 bids from eight international buyers. The auction was online by Humbert & Ellis Ltd, and the bidding continued through extensions in the online auction.According to Classic Car Insurance, only 25 Crossley Streamline cars were built, and just two were said to remain in existence. The car had been hidden in the barn for four decades before being brought to auction. It was one of seven vehicles found in the barn and later offered for sale. This production figure is not stated in Cambridgeshire Live's original report, which says only that the car is "one of only two known to exist.The Crossley Streamline was still carrying its original registration plate, ANB 487. The car was a vintage concept car conceived by Sir Denniston Burney, who also helped design the R100 airship. According to the report, the other known surviving example is held by Lord Montague of Beaulieu.Seven rare pre-war vehicles were found in the same barnThe Crossley Streamline formed part of a collection of seven rare pre-war vehicles discovered in the barn. Cambridgeshire Live reported that the collection had been amassed over several decades. The newspaper said the seven vehicles together generated £110,000 at auction.Other vehicles from the collection also sold at the auction. Classic Car Insurance reported that a 1925 Alcyon Cyclecar fetched £19,780, while a 1935 Crossley 2L Sports Saloon sold for £10,580. The 1925 Alcyon Cyclecar sold for £19,780, a Françon Voiturette Cyclecar achieved £14,000, and a 1932 Alvis 12/50 with a dickey seat realised £12,650. The two sources name different cars beyond the Alcyon, and neither accounts for all seven vehicles in the collection, the four prices Cambridgeshire Live reports add up to £108,430, short of its stated £110,000 total for all seven cars.Rare Crossley Streamline attracted worldwide interestHumbert & Ellis auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said the Crossley had attracted worldwide interest because of its rarity. Speaking to Cambridgeshire Live, he described the car as having “the airship” of a vehicle because of its teardrop design and noted that it was more than 18 feet long.The auctioneer also described the final stages of the online auction. Cambridgeshire Live reported that each new bid extended the auction by five minutes, with the bidding continuing as further offers were made. The Crossley Streamline ultimately sold for £62,000 after starting at £500.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.