A store of valuable and extremely rare classic cars, noticed rusted and weather-beaten on a farm in western France previous year after lying neglected for half a century goes under the hammer in Paris on Friday. The cars, reported as "sleeping beauties" by the Artcurial auction house, will be auctioned in the state they were discovered, having been kept in temporary shelters bared to the elements.

Artcurial has already suggested the cars, collected by an enthusiast on the property with the desire to modifying it into an automobile museum, could sell for around 16 million ($18 million). The 60 classic gems, with legendary names like Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, Talbot-Lago, Panhard-Levassor, Maserati, Ferrari, Delahaye and Delage have been described by Artcurial as "works of art".