You've heard of a barn find - a valuable, rare or exotic car that was parked in a shed and forgotten about until re-discovered by chance.
They do exist: an IOL staffer once saw a genuine Ferrari Dino that had been parked in an open lean-to on a seaside property with its windows open and a garden hose coiled up in its cockpit for more than two decades.
But this one takes the prize.
In 1985 the English owner of this 1911 Vulcan two-seat tourer parked it in the hallway of his home, just for the day, so he could sit there and admire it.
Never heard of a Vulcan? Neither had we...
Vulcan Motor and Engineering was formed in 1902 in Southport, Merseyside by brothers Thomas and Joseph Hampson. Their output was small and it is believed that less than 10 of these two-seat tourers with dicky seat are still in existence.
And when the owner died recently, the car was still in his hall! After 28 years the double-leaf front door was opened and the car rolled out on to the patio on the first part of its journey to auction.
HOME ORNAMENT
Well-maintained throughout its life, it was regularly dusted and polished just like any other home ornament during its 28 years as household furniture, and is in completely original condition but for period replacement lights and bulb horn. It still has its original grey paint, coach-lined in gold, with opulent brown button-back leather seating, and contrasting fawn roof and side screens.
Having been kept in a warm, dry environment for so many years, the Vulcan is in fine condition and its 12kW, two-litre, four-cylinder engine needed no more than a service to get it running as it did in 1911.
It's still registered and comes complete with an old style 'buff' log book and other such papers. The Vulcan will be auctioned alongside nearly 100 classic cars and of automobilia at Historics at Brooklands' winter auction venue, Mercedes-Benz World, near Weybridge, Surrey on Saturday 30 November from 10.00am, with viewing on the previous day.