A 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Alloy topped the results at the RM Sotheby’s Rudi Klein Junkyard sale 2024 in Los Angeles.
RM Sotheby’s earned nearly $30 million from the Rudi Klein Junkyad auction held in Los Angeles at the end of October 2024. The “junk” had some stunning results with the total earned well above the presale estimate of $17 million. The top result, $9,355,000 paid for the 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Alloy increased the world model record by $2.5 million. Seven cars, of which only one was in very good condition, sold for over $1 million each.
RM Sotheby’s: Rudi Klein Junkyard Sale 2024
RM Sotheby’s rather special The Junkyard: The Rudi Klein Collection auction was held in Los Angeles on 26 October 2024. The sale included some top cars but the majority of lots were cars damaged in accidents and only suitable for spare parts.
Rudi Klein, a German immigrant to the US, founded ‘Porche Foreign Auto’ in 1967 to deal in European classic cars. Over the decades, he quietly amassed a significant collection of collector cars, housed in a scrapyard on the outskirts of Los Angeles, shrouded in myth and speculation.
In addition to the cars, the Rudi Klein Collection included a vast assortment of parts—carburetors, engines, transmissions, wheels, and more—everything you’d expect from a scrapyard filled with European classics. Over 350 lots were offered online, with more than 200 of the most desirable lots featured in the live auction, for a total of over 550 lots.
In the life auction, RM Sotheby’s earned a total of $29,616,400 in sales, with 100% of lots sold, nearly doubling the pre-auction estimate of $17 million.
Top Ten Results at the RM Sotheby’s Los Angeles Rudi Klein Junkyard Sale 2024
The top ten results of the RM Sotheby’s Rudi Klein Junkyard Collection auction held in Los Angeles in October 2024 were:
- 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing sold for $9,355,000 USD
- 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K ‘Caracciola’ Special Coupe by Sindelfingen sold for $4,130,000 USD
- 1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser sold for $3,305,000 USD
- 1964 Iso Grifo A3/L Spider Prototype by Bertone sold for $1,875,000 USD
- 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 by Bertone sold for $1,325,000 USD
- 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster sold for $1,187,500 USD
- 1962 Porsche 356 B 1600 ‘Twin-Grille’ Roadster by D’Ieteren sold for $1,160,000 USD
- 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S by Bertone sold for $967,500 USD
- 1959 Porsche 356 A Carrera 1500 GS/GT Coupe by Reutter sold for $885,000 USD
- 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400 by Bertone sold for $610,000 USD
Top Rudi Klein RM Sotheby’s Auction 2024 Car Results
1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing
The 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing sold for a surprising $9,335,000, presle estimate $4,500,000 to $6,000,000, as by far the most expensive car at the RM Sotheby’s The Junkyard Rudi Klein Collection sale in Los Angeles.
It was the 26th of only 29 Alloy Gullwings ever produced and was ordered new by legendary Ferrari importer and Le Mans champion Luigi Chinetti. Rudi Klein acquired the Mercedes in 1976.
This Alloy Gullwing hasn’t left the junkyard in five decades and was in less than stellar condition. As a junkyard owner, Klein sold off a few pieces including the front bumpers, the shift knob, the tool kit, the jack, and the spare wheel!
The result increased the 300 SL Gullwing model record from the $6,825,000 paid for the perfectly restored 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing, chassis number 5500332, at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2022.
1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K ‘Caracciola’ Special Coupe by Sindelfingen
The 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K ‘Caracciola’ Special Coupe by Sindelfingen sold for $4,130,000. Built specifically for Mercedes-Benz’s champion racing driver, Rudi Caracciola, this one-off 500 K is one of the most sought-after Classic Era Mercedes-Benz cars. Acquired by Rudi Klein in 1979 and unseen by the public since 1980, it remains one of the most pursued Full Classic automobiles of the last half-century.
Formerly owned by Dr. Milton Roth and M.L. “Bill” Post, the car comes with its original build sheet, bearing Caracciola’s name, and represents a long-awaited opportunity for restoration and rediscovery.
1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser
The 1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser sold for $3,305,000. The sole surviving production Horch 855, this exceptional automobile was once owned by Purcell M. Ingram and the Brucker Movieworld Collection. Featured in the September 1954 issue of Road & Track and seen alongside Rock Hudson in The World Is Ours, the car has been part of the Klein Collection since 1980.
Lamborghini Miuras
The sale highlighted the rising value of the Lamborghini Miura, with three impressive sales reflecting its iconic status. 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.
These results underscore the Miura’s continued appreciation in value, solidifying its place as one of the most desirable classic supercars in automotive history. All three cars will need considerable work to return to the road.
For more on these cars see also: 2024 RM Sotheby’s Los Angeles Sale (Top Rudi Klein Junkyard Cars).