Lost Treasure: Rudi Klein’s “The Junkyard Collection” Draws $29.6m

Lost treasures haven’t lost their appeal in this market.

This past weekend, RM Sotheby’s hosted The Junkyard: The Rudi Klein Collection auction in Los Angeles. The collection, built up over years by secretive wrecking yard owner Rudi Klein, included cars that have long been considered blue chips among classic car enthusiasts. The sale captured global attention, realizing a total of $29,616,400 in sales, with 100% of lots sold and nearly doubling the pre-auction estimate of $17m.

According to RM Sotheby’s, the auction saw participation from bidders across 39 countries and 36 U.S. states, with nearly a third of participants being first-time bidders.

“We knew we had something truly special when we first announced this sale,” said Cary Ahl, Specialist, RM Sotheby’s. “The Rudi Klein Collection has been a source of intrigue for decades, and when the story finally broke, the global response was immediate and overwhelming. From the very beginning, our team dedicated countless hours uncovering this treasure trove of cars and parts, sorting through everything from the elusive Alloy Gullwing to the one-of-a-kind Caracciola 500 K and three Lamborghini Miuras, each an icon in its own right. The world watched as these historic vehicles left their longtime home in Rudi’s scrapyard, and now our team is working to ensure they arrive safely in the hands of collectors across the globe. Only RM Sotheby’s could make an event of this magnitude happen, bringing hidden pieces of automotive history to light and into the collections and garages of those who truly appreciate them.”

Top 10 Lots:

1.⁠ ⁠1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing sold for $9,355,000

2.⁠ ⁠1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K ‘Caracciola’ Special Coupe by Sindelfingen sold for $4,130,000

3.⁠ ⁠1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser sold for $3,305,000

4.⁠ ⁠1964 Iso Grifo A3/L Spider Prototype by Bertone sold for $1,875,000

5.⁠ ⁠1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 by Bertone sold for $1,325,000

6.⁠ ⁠1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster sold for $1,187,500

7.⁠ ⁠1962 Porsche 356 B 1600 ‘Twin-Grille’ Roadster by D’Ieteren sold for $1,160,000

8.⁠ ⁠1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S by Bertone sold for $967,500

9.⁠ ⁠1959 Porsche 356 A Carrera 1500 GS/GT Coupe by Reutter sold for $885,000

10.⁠ ⁠1967 Lamborghini Miura P400 by Bertone sold for $610,000

The 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing was one of just 29 Alloy cars built, and it was the sole example originally finished in Black over Red leather. It was ordered new by Ferrari importer and Le Mans champion Luigi Chinetti and acquired by Rudi Klein in 1976. The car had not left the Klein “yard” in nearly 50 years — and at $9,355,000, it broke the world record for the most valuable Alloy Gullwing ever sold.

The 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K ‘Caracciola’ Special Coupe by Sindelfingen was built specifically for Mercedes-Benz’s champion racing driver, Rudi Caracciola. It was acquired by Rudi Klein in 1979 and had been unseen by the public since 1980. It was formerly owned by Dr. Milton Roth and M.L. “Bill” Post, and it was complete with its original build sheet, with Caracciola’s name. It sold for $4,130,000.

*Image: Jenna Alcala, courtesy RM Sotheby’s*

The sole surviving production Horch 855 — a 1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser — was once owned by Purcell M. Ingram and the Brucker Movieworld Collection. It had been featured in the September 1954 issue of Road & Track and was seen alongside Rock Hudson in The World Is Ours. Again, this car had been in the collection since 1980. Here, it sold for $3,305,000.

Three Miuras were on offer as well. The 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 by Bertone sold for $1,325,000, while the 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S by Bertone brought in $967,500. Additionally, the 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400 by Bertone sold for $610,000.

See the complete results from the live event here, and the online event here.

Images courtesy RM Sotheby’s