World's Most Enthralling Junk Yard Goes to Auction

Motoring enthusiasts love the chance to poke around yards full of wrecks from years gone by, but hardly anyone has been behind the walls of a Los Angeles-based business previously run by eclectic collector Rudi Klein.

Klein dealt mostly with derelict Porsches and dozens of those are being sold from October 26-28 when RM Sothebys offers the contents of Klein’s ‘junkyard’ at an Unreserved sale.

1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 'Alloy' Gullwing

Two separate listings of cars and parts have been announced; one an Online auction comprising mostly parts and incomplete cars, with bidding on these running from October 26-28 (US Time). 

Available lots include multiple Porsche 911 engines, a rack of Mercedes-Benz steering wheels, road wheels for various Porsche and Mercedes-Benz models and a damaged but restorable bonnet from a mid-1960s Ferrari 330GTS.

Turn to the Live Auction which occurs on October 26 (check commencement times with the auction house) and the offerings from a list of 208 lots become far more fascinating.

There are yet more parts, some unlikely to be found in any other recycler’s yard and  including the nose panel from a Ferrari 275GTB – guided at just US$2500-5000 – a pair of Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing doors, another Ferrari bonnet in almost usable condition, plus engines to suit virtually every kind of 1950s-70s Porsche.

1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K 'Caracciola' Special Coupe by Sindelfingen

Moving past a sequence of rusted but mostly restorable Porsche 356 bodies, the viewer encounters a near complete Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman at US$40-60,000, a Maserati 3500GTi in similar condition, several 1930s Mercedes-Benz models and a Maybach Ponton Sport Cabriolet.

This elegant car was built in 1939 but rebodied after WW2 bodywork and is one of five thought to have been made. The Guiding Range for this possibly sole survivor is US$100-150,000.

The sale includes two rare Iso Grifos, one a prototype coupe, the other the only A3/L Spider prototype ever made. This utterly unique car is almost complete, looks to be easily restorable and expected to sell at close to US$1 million.

1966 Ferrari 330 GTC by Pininfarina

Accompanying the Isos is a trio of Lamborghini Miuras in various states of decline but all certainly able to be saved.

The car in closest to running order is a 1968 P400, believed to have been owned by one of Lamborghini’s test drivers before being imported to the USA during the 1970s and painted its eye-withering shade of metallic green. It is expected to make US$700,000 but has a restored value exceeding $2,000,000.

Star of the auction and with a Guiding Range of US$5-6,000,000 is #26 of just 29 alloy bodied Mercedes-Benz 300SLR Gullwing coupes.

1977 Maserati Bora 4.9

This car was the only one of its type to be originally painted in black and was sold new to Luigi Chinetti, who was the US distributor for Ferrari.  After being used in comparison tests against contemporary Ferraris the car was stored until 1976 when Chinetti sold it to Rudi Klein for US$30,000. 

The complete listing of Rudi Klein Junkyard Collection, numbering over 500 individual lots, can be found via the RM Sothebys link  

The Junkyard: The Rudi Klein Collection | Available Lots | RM Sotheby's

A report of significant sales will appear in Retro Rides shortly after the auction ends.