Rudi Klein junkyard collection sells with Mercedes SL Alloy Gullwing fetching $9M

• Rudi Klein’s “junkyard” collection in Los Angeles has sold at auction more than two decades after his death
• The collection included multiple examples of many cars, including rare cars like the Miura and 300SL
• The most expensive car sold at the auction was a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Alloy Gullwing
  

A collection of highly sought after classic cars rotting away for decades under the California sun finally went under the hammer last week at an auction hosted by RM Sotheby’s.

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—until now. All 207 lots, which in addition to cars included many spare parts, were sold, fetching a combined $29,616,400.

The collection included standout models like the Lamborghini Miura, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, and Mercedes-Benz 500K, and in many cases there are multiple examples.

The most expensive car, which was bid to $9.35 million, was a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Alloy Gullwing. It is just one of 29 made, and the only one finished in black. The Alloy Gullwings featured a lightweight body to make them more competitive on the racetrack. Klein’s example was at one point owned by famous Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti.

Another highlight was a 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K that sold for $4.13 million, a one-off 1935 coupe originally owned by pre-war grand prix racing legend Rudolf Caracciola. It was allegedly Klein’s favorite and ended up as the second most expensive car of the auction.

Other highlights included a 1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster allegedly owned by Eva Braun ($3.3 million), plus a 1967 Iso Grifo A3/L Spider Prototype by Bertone ($1.88 million), and a smattering of Porsche 356es, some selling for only a few thousand dollars because of their poor state. There were also three Miuras, including one that sold for as low as $610,000, once again due to the poor condition of the car.

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 need a lot of work to get them back into road-worthy condition.