A HOST of classic cars that have been sat in a junkyard for decades are set to be sold off for millions of dollars.
The incredible collection includes retro Porsches, a trio of dilapidated Lamborghinis, and even a Mercedes that could sell for $1 million.
Famed auction house RM Sotheby’s is preparing to sell off the collection of incredible vehicles from the inventory at Rudi Klein’s Los Angeles junkyard.
Klein, who’s a renowned figure in the world of collecting, has amassed the remarkable collection in the modest junkyard since 1967, with a particular focus on rare or unique autos from Europe.
For gearheads, Klein’s collection has always been something of a mystery, with very few industry collectors knowing of its existence and even fewer having peeked behind the lot’s barbed wire fences.
Who is Rudi Klein?
Rudi Klein, a German immigrant who arrived in the US in the late 1950s, began as a butcher before he founded Porsche Foreign Auto, a scrapyard business located in LA, in 1967.
Over the decades, Klein has amassed an incredible collection of classic cars from Europe, including Ferraris, Porsches, Maseratis, and Lamborghinis, all of which were kept hidden away from prying eyes.
The junkyard was never open to the public, and is known for its high levels of security. Few people have ever seen the collection.
Even after Klein’s death in 2001, his sons continued to keep the collection hidden.
The site is packed with vintage cars, many of them classic Porsches, including 356s and 911s in various states of disrepair, as well as dozens of the German brand’s iconic air-cooled engines.
There’s also a duo of worse-for-wear Ferrari 330 GTCs, a 275 GTS, a handful of Lamborghini Miura P400s, and even a rare Iso Grifo Spyder.
But perhaps the most striking examples in the collection are several rare Mercedes-Benz machines, which includes a largely complete 1957 300 SL Roadster which could sell for as much as $1 million at auction.
This Merc is particularly desirable as it comes equipped with Rudge wheels – one of just 30 in existence.
Pricier still is a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Alloy Gullwing, one of just 29 examples to feature the lightweight body, Plexiglass windows, Rudge wheels, and the motorsports-trimmed engine.
This unrestored example, which hasn’t been driven outside of the walls of the Klein yard in nearly 50 years, could sell for an estimated $5 million.
The car was once purchased by Luigi Chinetti, an iconic Le Mans winner and owner of the Ferrari North American Racing Team.
However, experts predict a 1935 Mercedes 500 K, which was acquired by Klein in 1979, could outsell the Alloy Gullwing.
Having not been seen in public since 1980, the pre-war automobile was originally built as a one-off for driver racing driver Rudolf Caracciola, who became an icon during the Silver Arrows era of Grand Prix racing.
The Rudi Klein Collection will go under the hammer on October 26, with a preview available on October 25.
This comes as hundreds of classic cars were found underwater at a disused quarry last month.
The vehicles had been dumped and left to rot in an underwater car graveyard – including a Ford Escort, Ford Fiesta and Morris Minor.
Elsewhere, a classic car nut has embarked on a “labor of love” restoration after discovering an abandoned 1966 muscle car worth $70,000.
The vehicle’s owner thought it was “junk” and wanted it removed without realizing they had a real gem on their hands.
Another, red Miura, could sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, despite its condition[/caption]
