An old Bentley that belonged to a World War II veteran and spent thirty-one years in a garage just sold for $600,000, which was far more than anyone expected it to go for.

The 1936 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre Vanden Plas Tourer is an incredibly rare vehicle, as it is one of just six that were ever made. Back in 1952, the car was bought by retired Royal Air Force navigator and pilot Charles Blackham for just £260.

Blackham was a member of the bomber squad that bombed Adolf Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest” retreat in April 1945, and he completed other drops around Europe immediately after the fall of the Nazi regime.

Blackham continued driving this car daily until 1988, when he began having trouble getting it to run. He then left the car in his garage in Manchester, where it remained untouched until he passed away back in January of this year at the age of 96.

Blackham’s estate found the car and put it up for auction, where it was sold at the H&H Classics event held in the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. H&H head of sales Damian Jones said that though he thinks that it will take a “6-figure sum” to get the car back into shape, “18 months down the line you could have something very special.”

Whoever the person who bought this car is, he or she should feel very lucky to own a vehicle that belonged to such an amazing World War II hero! We would like to thank Blackham for his service, and to wish whoever got his car the best of luck with it!