- Rudi Klein's “Junkyard” collection in Los Angeles is headed for auction more than two decades after his death
- The collection includes multiple examples of many cars, including rare cars like the Miura and 300SL
- The most expensive car in the collection is likely to be the 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K owned by racing legend Rudolf Caracciola
A collection of highly sought after classic cars rotting away for decades under the California sun is finally about to go under the hammer.
The collection was amassed by German immigrant Rudi Klein, who started a scrapyard business in South Central Los Angeles in 1967.
Klein passed away in 2001 and his collection, which went to his two sons, has been left untouched ever since. However, it has now been consigned to auction house RM Sotheby's which will place it under the hammer in late October.
The collection includes standout models like the Lamborghini Miura, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, and Mercedes-Benz 500K, and in many cases there are multiple examples.
Rudi Klein Collection - Photo via RM Sotheby's
One of the 300 SLs is an uber-rare Alloy Gullwing example, of which just 29 were made. The Alloy Gullwings featured a lightweight body to make them more competitive on the racetrack, and another example, albeit in pristine condition, sold for almost $7 million at an auction in 2022. Klein's example was the only one delivered in black, and at one point was owned by famous Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti.
Other highlights include the 500K, a one-off 1935 coupe originally owned by pre-war grand prix racing legend Rudolf Caracciola. It was allegedly Klein's favorite and will likely end up as the most expensive car of the lot. The collection also includes a 1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster allegedly owned by Eva Braun, plus a 1967 Iso Grifo A3/L Spider Prototype by Bertone, and a smattering of Porsche 356es.
A bit of a gearhead himself, Klein had an eye for rare autos, primarily those from his homeland. He recognized that spare parts would be hard to come by so he started amassing the cars, typically purchasing them as wrecks. As a result, most of the cars in the collection will need a lot of work to get them back into road-worthy condition.
A detailed listing on all of the cars plus the date and location for the auction will be announced shortly.
