When does a brand-new automobile demand the attention of a serious automobile collector?

Simple: When it is decades old.

Every now and then, a car will come through my shop that fits into a very special class: A "brand-new" car -- or one lightly used and so scrupulously cared for that it looks freshly restored but is actually completely original.

While you would think these cars would likely be Ferraris or Rolls-Royces, the ones that are the most intriguing often have rather mundane brand names.

I vividly remember a great gray battleship of a car, a 1949 Dodge four door, that had rubber mats and plain upholstery but less than 200 miles on it.

I'm sure the original buyer did not think, "Oh, this will be collectible one day, so I will buy it and put it away for 40 years or so."

While its new owner thought the car was worth $100,000, the old Dodge was only worth roughly $2,000 more than a nicely restored car would be. And would not likely have found a buyer willing to go higher than $20,000.

A personal favourite was a 1950 Studebaker, once again a four door rather than a coupe or convertible.

A young chap drove it in and was looking for a profit as he was buying it from its original owner to turn over. He let slip he was purchasing it for $6,000 and was interested in selling it to me for $10,000.

But, while I kick myself now, I did not buy it. More from not wanting to provide such an easy profit to someone who may have taken advantage of the original owner than from disinterest in the car.

The Studebaker was in near-perfect condition and still had the original Navajo-print trunk liner. The only flaw was a pressure dent in the driver's side passenger door that would have been an easy fix. It was in such wonderful shape it could have been mistaken for new with very little detailing work.

The inspiration for this column actually sits downstairs in my shop right now: A 1981 Mercedes 240 D sedan that came in for an insurance appraisal.

The Mercedes has only 5,300 km on it and is absolutely flawless from stem to stern, including paint and an immaculate interior. The owner bought the car new, but didn't like driving it and just put it away. Now, the owner is moving and the car has been removed from storage.

Many in this class of cars emerge into the light of day when people sell a home or pass away. In most cases, Uncle Henry's old car will not be worth much and is usually something like a Chrysler New Yorker that was parked when its engine blew up.

But in some cases, some very real treasures have emerged from long-term storage.

A few years ago, a Duesenberg Model A sedan was unearthed in a barn in Vermont. The car was in original and untouched condition, and hopefully the purchasers left it as it came out.

The Concours classic car exposition at Pebble Beach, Calif., has a special class for unrestored vehicles in which some spectacular original cars appear.

Last year, a magnificent wooden-bodied 1914 Mercedes Skiff graced the lawn and won its preservation class. The car was so original, it stole the thunder from many of the perfectly restored cars around it.

Stories of cars bought new and put away have become part of modern urban legend.

Ninety-nine per cent of these stories are balderdash, but every now and then, a car is discovered covered under tarps in nice, dry storage.

Keeping your eyes and ears open, combined with a little luck, might provide you a "brand-new" old collector car.

David Grainger owns an automotive restoration company