Scrap dealer Rudi Klein's car collection was an open secret that only became known to the world this year. Now most have been sold for over DKK 100 million.
German-American immigrant Rudi Klein is long gone and dead. But he left behind a crazy car collection which has now been sold on. The price reached a total of over 100 million Danish kroner.
Rudi Klein's car collection, which was recently sold at auction by his heirs, fetched over DKK 100 million. The collection, which consisted of rare cars hidden away for decades, included a number of exclusive models.
Rudi Klein, a German immigrant, started his collection in the 1950s. He often found wrecked European cars that had been scrapped by wealthy Americans who no longer saw value in them. Klein bought these cars cheaply and stored them in an abandoned lot.
After Klein's death in 2001, the collection remained untouched for many years. It was only when his sons, Ben and Jason, decided to sell it that its full extent was revealed to the public.
Auction house RM Sotheby's estimated the collection to contain 208 items, including scrapped engines, rare luxury cars and classic sports cars.
READ ALSO: Has Haas regretted it? Comes with new Kevin Magnussen message
Among the most notable cars were several Lamborghini Miuras, a 1935 Mercedes 500K with a fascinating history, and two Mercedes 300 SLs.
The auction, which took place online, attracted a lot of attention from car collectors worldwide. Several of the cars, even those in poor condition, fetched high prices. A Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing, one of only 29 examples produced, was sold for DKK 100 million. A Mercedes 500K roadster from 1935, which Klein had hidden away since 1966, was sold for 28 million kroner.
Although many of the cars were in a condition that required extensive restoration, there was a lot of interest in them. Even scrapped Porsche engines were sold for significant sums.
The auction proved to be a great success for Klein's heirs, who made a considerable sum from the sale of his lifelong collection.
Read more exciting news from and about the world of cars right here!