Fancy a fixer-upper? Four dust-covered traditional vehicles salvaged from garages after 40 years of slumber to promote at public sale for as much as £75k

Are you a classic car enthusiast looking for a new project to sink your teeth into? 

If so, an upcoming auction in Birmingham has a selection of long-neglected motors that could be right up your street.

Four ‘garage find’ vehicles – all of which have been locked away for years without use – will be offered to the highest bidders at an Iconic Auctioneers sale hosted at the Classic Car and Restoration Show hosted at the NEC over two days on 22 and 23 March.

Gary Dunne, sales manager at the auction house, says ‘huge pleasure to be had’ returning these cars to their former glory to experience them on roads after enduring decades behind locked doors either as a result of neglect or their keepers passing away.

Combined, these vehicles have spent an estimated 40 years in storage, meaning you might need to blow off a bit of dust from the bodywork and a few cobwebs from the cabin before taking them for a spin.

We take a look at the options available, how long they’ve been hidden away and reveal the guide price estimates for each.

1974 Aston Martin V8 Series 3 

Stored since: 2012 (13 years) 

Estimate: £25,000 – £30,000

Retained by the same owner for 28 years, this classic Aston Martin looks to have been stashed in a garage for the best part of 13 years, according to its MOT history.

Last passing an MOT test in 2012 – two years before it received MOT exemption due to it exceeded 40 years – it’s turned just eight miles since then.

Over its lifetime, it has covered just 50,580 miles; that’s fewer than 1,000 miles per year on average. 

Unveiled in August 1973, the Series 3 differed from earlier cars with the arrival of four twin-choke downdraft Weber carburettors which replaced the previous Bosch fuel-injection system. 

To accommodate this new arrangement, the bonnet sported a distinctive bulge that continued to the trailing edge and a lip adjacent to the boot replaced extractor louvers behind the rear window.

Purchased by the vendor in 1997, this Winchester Blue Series 3 was in regular use between here and his villa in Marbella. 

While it might not have seen much action since 2012, it has recently had a refurbish, with a brake service carried out last year.

However, despite currently running and driving, Iconic Auctioneers says it will need some recommissioning prior to returning to active use. 

For between £20,000 and £30,000, this is an affordable way into classic V8 Aston Martin ownership. 

1971 Lotus Seven S4 Twin-Cam

Stored since: 2018 (7 years)   

Estimate: £8,000 – £12,000

This yellow Lotus and its late owner enjoyed years and years of fun together taking on the hill climb circuit. Though not for a few years.

The Series 4 models, introduced in 1970, marked a departure from earlier Lotus Seven models, featuring a wider body, improved amenities and an optional twin-cam engine capable of producing up to 120bhp. 

Finished in Lotus Yellow and in fast road-spec, this example was acquired in 1982 by the vendor’s late husband, who cherished and enjoyed it for over three decades.

At some point during its ownership, the standard 1.6-litre engine has been replaced with a Lotus twin-cam, uprated clutch and gearbox. 

The original engine and gearbox will form part of the lot, as will numerous other spares, tools, workshop equipment, roll-hoop, wheels and tyres.

The car has not run since 2018, so will need to be fully recommissioned before taking on any events in the future.

With an estimate of between £8,000 to £12,000 and all the parts supplied, this Lotus could present cheap thrills for a Seven fan. 

1992 Land Rover Defender 110 – ex-Camel Trophy 1993

Stored since: 2017 (8 years)

Estimate: £15,000 – £20,000

Sold directly from Land Rover to the vendor in 1994 after it completed the 1993 Camel Trophy in Sabah, Malaysia, this is a genuine factory-prepared expedition vehicle that is essentially original but is now in need of some TLC.

The ‘Camel Trophy’ originated in 1980 with three Jeep-equipped German teams exploring the Amazon Basin. 

After that first event, the organisers turned to Land Rover for support and the tobacco company, Camel, for primary sponsorship.

Over the course of the next 20 years, all of the Land Rover vehicle ranges were used – Range Rover, Land Rover Series III, Land Rover 90, Land Rover 110, Land Rover Defender, Land Rover Discovery and Freelander, with all vehicles appearing in the distinctive Camel ‘Sandglow’ colour scheme and were specially adapted for their role.

Some competitors purchased their vehicles and many remained in the host country. 

Consequently, those vehicles that returned to the UK are highly sought after having covered ‘Camel Trophy miles’.

This 1992 car is a genuine Land Rover-prepared Defender utilised as a medical support vehicle to the lead Discovery vehicles on the 1993 Camel Trophy in Sabah, Malaysia. 

Bought directly from the British car maker in 1994 by the vendor – who at the time was a JLR employee – it had a mere 2,000 miles on the clock. 

Subsequently it was used as his family vehicle for the next 20-plus years, and now shows 112,000 miles.

Regularly serviced by the engineer vendor and routinely garaged when used, it has been since been ‘parked-up’ from 2017 onward and is now in need of refurbishment.

For a higher estimate of £20,000, this could be a very tempting collectors item. 

1984 Ford Capri 2.8 Injection 

Stored since: 2013 (12 years)

Estimate: £8,000 – £10,000

Emerging from long term storage, this is a great opportunity to acquire a previously restored and well-preserved Capri 2.8 Injection with a very interesting back story. 

With Ford’s sporty coupe becoming something of a collectors item, this one could be very appealing to enthusiasts.

This example is finished in Signal Black with red and silver coach lines and sits on the period-correct SVE 13-inch Pepperpot alloys. 

Acquired by the vendor around 12 years ago, they later made a surprising – and unwelcome -discovery.

Having purchased the car as something of a project and already spending time and money restoring it to a high standard – including addressing all mechanicals and paintwork issues – the keeper was hit with the shocking news that the car had been reported stolen and the police became involved.

Having spent a serious amount of time and money on the car, a negotiation took place, and the original owner supplied the full history file for the car to the vendor, its now legal owner. 

Having been subject to considerable stress over a period of time, the seller couldn’t bring himself to drive the car and so it has sat in storage ever since and visited occasionally.

With a higher estimate of £10,000, this could be the steal of the auction.