Secret barn-find stash revisited

If you go down to the woods today...

When, back in 2020, Belgian Ruben Bodein heard about an abandoned and seemingly forgotten garage full of classics in the east of France, he decided to make his way over the border to have a look at the place for himself. And he wasn’t disappointed.

He managed to track down the garage, whose grounds were littered with everything from Triumphs to several Simca Arianes (pictured), in a sleepy Burgundy village and took a series of photographs, reproduced here.

Gems under cover

Information about the collection is scarce, but it seems that the premises were purpose-built to keep some of the cars – such as the Peugeot 203 saloon, Peugeot 304 Cabriolet and Simca 5 pictured here – safe from the worst of the weather.

Left to the elements

Outside, however, several pre-war Citroëns, Renaults and Peugeots are lined up together, joined by a gaggle of 1950s and ’60s Opels, Panhards and Simcas.

Flat-twin Citroën twins

The two separate buildings alongside hide more cars from the golden age of the French automotive industry.

There are further Citroëns, from the Dyane and 2CV Fourgonnette van pictured here to the ’80s flagship CX, plus Renaults, Simcas and Panhards.

A pride of Lions

Whoever assembled this collection favoured Peugeots above all, however, with most of them dating to shortly after WW2. 

There are clutches of them parked side by side and they range from the 202 to the 604, along with plenty of 403s, as shown here.

A hoarder’s paradise

As well as the cars, there are piles and piles of parts – or scrap, if you are being churlish!

Here they are doing their best to disguise a half-buried Peugeot 203, plus a stylish two-tone Simca Aronde.

A break from the norm

Among the oddities are the Facel-bodied Simca Océane (on left), Panhard 24CT and Fiat 850 saloon pictured here.

Elsewhere there’s a Simca 5, the French-built version of the Fiat Topolino, plus a duo of Simca Arianes and an early 1950s Philippe Charbonneaux-styled Rosengart Ariette, the final model built by Rosengart of Neuilly-sur-Seine before the company disappeared.

A Brit abroad

The outcasts in this secret hideaway have to be the non-French cars, of which there are several to be found. 

Perhaps most surprising is this Triumph Spitfire, but there are also Rovers P5 and SD1 Vitesse, a Jaguar XJ-S, Lancias, Fiats and a scattering of Mercedes saloons.

Opel requires epic restoration

Opel is another marque that features relatively regularly, and this mid-’50s Opel Olympia with its distinctive frontal treatment was once a stylish machine – as was the Peugeot 202 that sits alongside.

A Francophile’s paradise

Who owns all of these cars or what their fate may be is unknown, but as Bodein states: “It certainly seems as if no one cares about these cars.”

Which, when you see a perfectly salvageable Citroën CX, Peugeot 104 and stylish 1930s Renault, as here, seems rather a shame.

Panhard returns to nature

There are several stylish Panhards to be found both inside the barn and out, but not all of them look to be restorable. 

This quirky PL17, peeking out from beneath the leaves and flanked by a Peugeot 403, appears to be beyond salvation.

Still clinging on to life?

Inside there’s another streamlined PL17, and this example looks to be in rather better fettle.

From various stickers adoring its coachwork, the air-cooled Panhard appears to have been used for rallying at some point during its life.

Faded Teutonic glory

Alongside the Panhard in the garage sits a remarkably well preserved Mercedes-Benz W111 ‘Fintail’ saloon that is surely ripe for restoration – and keen spotters will also spy the distinctive front indicators of a Rover SD1 just visible in the background.

A long way from the Berlin taxi rank

Back outside, there’s another Mercedes-Benz saloon, this time a later W114/W115 that is clearly well beyond preservation, though it could potentially yield a few useful parts. And what’s that behind it? Yet another Peugeot 403...

Living down to its reputation

Another car left out to the elements is this Lancia Beta (on right). Never a car that was known for the effectiveness of its rust protection – in fact, its propensity to rot contributed to Lancia’s downfall in the UK market – it has really suffered out in the woods, though arguably no worse than the Simca alongside…

Commercial breakdowns

The collection doesn’t just include cars, either: there are also several commercial vehicles dotted around the barn, such as this well preserved high-roof Renault Estafette.

The Renault’s funky looks are just starting to be appreciated, but it hasn’t yet hit the heights of the Citroën H-Van, an example of which sits alongside – one of the few that hasn’t been turned into a mobile coffee bar or street-food vendor!

Simca surrounded by spares

Wherever you look there are piles of parts, both mechanical and, as here, body panels of all ages, surrounding the neatly styled tail of a very dusty but apparently sound Simca Aronde saloon.

Rusty Rüsselsheim relic

Some of the cars that have been exposed to the weather all year round have taken quite a beating, and it’s not always easy to identify them – though the badge certainly helps with this late ’60s Opel Commodore A.

Chasing waterfalls

The propensity for Peugeots of all ages, from the 1920s to the 1980s, continues outside. Here the ‘waterfall grille’ of a Peugeot 202 takes centre stage.

A natural scrapyard

This final shot sums up the variety of designs on show, from upright 1930s machinery to the sharp lines of a cute rear-engined Simca – and the extravagance of another Simca Vedette, just for good measure.