An assortment of long-lost luxury cars have been unearthed after more than four decades of sitting in an unsuspecting California junkyard.
Now, these ancient treasures are worth millions and will be auctioned off at the end of October. This auction is expected to raise millions, according to RM Sotheby’s website.
Some of the vehicles for sale will include three restorable Lamborghini Miuras, considered the first supercar in history, which together are worth approximately $2 million.
This extensive collection (more than 566 cars and parts) belonged to a German named Rudi Klein, who emigrated to Los Angeles in the 1950s.
He worked as a butcher for a while, but his true calling was collecting classic European cars, according to Wheels.
A 1968 Lamborghini Miura is one of three iconic models to be auctioned
A red 1967 Lamborghini Miura is for sale for $450,000
More than 566 cars and parts will be auctioned live and online from October 26 to 28
Klein opened his iconic scrapyard, Porsche Foreign Auto, in 1967. He then began expanding his exotic range of vehicles.
Magneto He described the junkyard as “a place of mystery, an enigma” because it was an unexpected place to store hidden treasures.
From the outside, looking in, the junkyard stood abandoned, with steel fences and barbed wire, on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
But inside the yard it was a different story, with luxury cars from manufacturers Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini.
The auction is expected to fetch millions of dollars, according to RM Sotheby’s website.
The collection was never made public, even after Klein died in 2001.
While running the junkyard, Klein never made his exclusive collection public: only a few people were allowed inside.
The car collector died in 2001, but his family took care to keep his collection completely intact.
The auction will be the first opportunity for the public to view or purchase any of the cars.
Car auction house RM Sotheby’s will host a live auction titled ‘The Junkyard: The Rudi Klein Collection’ on October 26, where 208 lots will be up for grabs.
A 1939 Maybach SW38 ‘Ponton-Sport’ Cabriolet is for sale for $150,000
While Klein lived, he operated his junkyard as usual, but he almost never let anyone see the collection of cars he owned.
From October 26 to 28, 358 more lots will be sold online.
A jewel of the assortment is lot three, a 1968 Miura P400 believed to have belonged to engineer and test driver Claudio Zampolli, who went on to build the Cizeta supercar.
A 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing is expected to sell for $6 million. A 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 will sell for an estimated $700,000.
From the outside, Rudi Klein’s junkyard seemed like an unexpected place to house luxury cars.
Parts of old cars are also sold. For example, a 1970 Lamborghini Miura S Engine with Parts is on sale for $125,000.
Cary Ahl, RM Sotheby’s car specialist, said: Robb’s Report:’Each car will need a brave collector prepared for a comprehensive restoration.
“But the rewards for returning these incredible supercars to their former glory are immense.”