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The US Sun
‘Mythical collection’ of decaying classic cars hits auction – including ‘rarest Mercedes-Benz ever worth $1.6 million’
By Ben Shimkus,
2 hours ago
A historic lot of collectible cars has settled under years of dust and dirt, but the vehicles are set to go under the hammer.
Sotheby’s, a fine art company that helps auction collections , listed a series of iconic classic cars , including rare Mercedes, Lamborghini, and Ferrari models.
A collection of iconic cars stored a rare Mercedes-Benz (stock image) Alamy The 1955 model had gullwing doors (stock image) Getty Initial versions of the car cost $1.6 million (stock image) Alamy
Rudi Klein used to own a lot of iconic cars.
Klein, a former butcher, decided on a career transition in the late 1960s and began collecting cars, according to Driven Car Guide .
He started Porche Foreign Auto, a company that became the final resting place for once-beloved, rare sports cars.
The lot became a sort of vehicle amber – stashing vehicles after their former glory.
Dozens of cars have been parked outside for decades. Their bodies have rusted from the weather exposure.
However, interest in the vehicles has remained high, given the rare cars in the lot.
Klein held onto a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing.
The car is one of the rarest luxury vehicles in the company’s history. One 300 SL Alloy Gullwing sold for over $6.7 million, according to IMSA .
Mercedes initially sold the ultra-rare vehicle for $1.6 million.
The lot also contains a series of expensive Mercedes, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Ferrari classics, according to Sotheby’s.
“For decades, a mythical collection of incredible cars has sat in the hot California sun, some covered, some exposed to the elements,” the company wrote in its auction listing.
“Inside of its barbed wire fence lived legends like the rarest Mercedes-Benz ever built.”
For decades, the private company kept the vehicles away from the public eye.
But Klein passed in 2001. Now, his family has agreed to sell the decaying vehicles from the lot with Sotheby’s.
The vehicles are set to go under the hammer in October.
A complete online catalog of the vehicles is expected to drop in September.
For decades, a mythical collection of incredible cars has sat in the hot California sun, some covered, some exposed to the elements.
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Dozens of other rare vehicles with iconic pasts are set to go to auction shortly.
An Italdesign Aztec, a 1980s sports car designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, is looking for a new home .
Giugiaro is the same designer who molded the DeLorean DMC popularized in the Back to the Future movies.
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