It was on this day in 2009 that relatives of Dr Harold Carr - a deceased childless bachelor - discovered a super-rare Bugatti in his dusty Northumbrian garage.

The 1937 Type 57S Atalante Coupe - one of just 17 ever made - was found among a pile of junk in Mr Carr’s garage complete with 99 per cent of its original parts and with just 26,000 miles on its odometer.

Records show that the vehicle was originally owned by Earl Howe - the first president of the British Racing Drivers Club - and was capable of reaching speeds of almost 130mph at a time when the average car struggled to reach 50mph.

Relatives of the eccentric doctor believe he acquired the vehicle in 1955 for £895 (£16,000 today) and drove it for a few years before leaving it in his garage in Gosforth, with the last tax disc expiring in 1960.

The highly-coveted vehicle was sold a few months later to an anonymous European collector for £3 million at a Bonhams auction in Paris.

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