This 1961 Aston was rescued from a forest

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘barn find’ in the context of laid-up classic cars, but it’s rare to hear about a valuable thoroughbred that has been left out in the open for much of its life.

Such was the fate of a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 that’s about to come up for auction in Arizona. It spent 45 years in a New Hampshire forest with no more protection than a few overhanging tree branches.

Despite that, as buyers at Worldwide Auctioneers’ upcoming inaugural Scottsdale sale will find, the British GT came out of the trees in a remarkably sound state. It will be presented for sale on 18 January in ‘as-found’ condition.

“We’re delighted to be entrusted with the sale of this astonishing car,” said chief auctioneer Rod Egan. “It’s literally straight out of the woods, an amazing discovery with a fascinating history.”

The Aston will be joined at Scottsdale by a right-hand-drive Mercedes-Benz 230SL ‘Pagoda’ first owned by Beatles front man John Lennon in 1965, a significant year in the band’s history that was marked by a record-breaking concert at New York’s Shea Stadium.

Describing the Mercedes as “the personal property of one of the most influential and celebrated music icons on the planet” and “a rare chance for a collector to make a one-in-a-lifetime acquisition”, Worldwide’s John Kruse confirmed that the SL comes with the original ownership paperwork corroborating the delivery of the car to Lennon in London.