Top cars in RM Sotheby’s Rudi Klein Junkyard Sale in Los Angeles in 2024 include a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing and Caracciola’s 500K.
The Junkyard: The Rudi Klein Collection sale by RM Sotheby’s in Los Angeles, USA, will include a small collection of very special cars and a large variety of special car parts, including engines, body panels, transmissions, and many more. The top cars — both requiring serious mechanical and cosmetic attention — are a rare 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing and the 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K ‘Caracciola’ Special Coupe by Sindelfingen. In contrast, the 1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser was factory restored by Audi.
RM Sotheby’s: Rudi Klein Junkyard Sale 2024
RM Sotheby’s announced a rather special The Junkyard: The Rudi Klein Collection auction for Los Angeles on 26 October 2024. The sale will include some top cars but the majority of lots are cars damaged in accidents and only suitable for spare parts. However, the sale will include a few very special cars, only one in relatively top condition.
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. Now, for the first time, this legendary collection will be offered at public auction, showcasing many cars unseen for generations.
In addition to the cars, the Rudi Klein Collection includes 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 will be available online, with more than 200 of the most desirable lots featured in the live auction, for a total of over 550 lots.
Top Ten Most Expensive Cars in the Rudi Klein Junkyard Sale 2024
The ten cars expected to sell for the highest prices in the RM Sotheby’s Rudi Klein Junkyard Sale in Los Angeles in 2024 with presale estimates include:
- 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing – $4,500,000 to $6,000,000
- 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K ‘Caracciola’ Special Coupe by Sindelfingen – $4,000,000 to $6,000,000
- 1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser – $3,000,000 to $4,000,000
- 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster – $800,000 to $1,000,000
- 1964 Iso Grifo A3/L Spider Prototype by Bertone – $700,000 to $1,000,000
- 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S by Bertone – $500,000 to $700,000
- 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 by Bertone – $500,000 to $700,000
- 1959 Porsche 356 A Carrera 1500 GS/GT Coupe by Reutter – $450,000 to $600,000
- 1962 Porsche 356 B 1600 ‘Twin-Grille’ Roadster by D’Ieteren – $350,000 to $550,000
- 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400 by Bertone – $350,000 to $450,000
Top Cars in the Rudi Klein Junkyard Sale RM Sotheby’s Auction 2024
1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing
One of only 29 Alloy Gullwings ever produced, this 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing, chassis number 198.043.5500872, is the sole example originally finished in Black over Red leather. It was the 26th body off the production line but the first car actually completed. 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!
Ordered new by legendary Ferrari importer and Le Mans champion Luigi Chinetti, it was acquired by Rudi Klein in 1976. Having never left the Klein “yard” in nearly 50 years, this unrestored example retains its original interior, body, engine, and key mechanical components. Accompanied by fascinating documentation, it stands as one of the most significant post-war Mercedes-Benz cars to come to market in decades, with an unduplicatable history and provenance.
This 300 SL Alloy Gullwing is offered with a whopping presale estimate of $4,500,000 to $6,000,000. The model record is $6,825,000 paid for the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing, chassis number 5500332, at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2022. Although just missing the estimate of $7,000,000 to $9,000,000, it set a new model record and is the most expensive post-war Mercedes-Benz ever. Later in the same year, at RM Monterey, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing achieved only $5,010,000.
1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K ‘Caracciola’ Special Coupe by Sindelfingen
Built specifically for Mercedes-Benz’s champion racing driver, Rudi Caracciola, this one-off 1935 Mercedes-Benz 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.
How special was Rudi Caracciola? His record of six German Grand Prix victories still stands. In January 1938, at the wheel of a W125, he was clocked at 268.9 mph on the autobahn — still the fastest speed ever officially recorded on a public road.
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
The 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster was one of only 30 Roadsters factory-equipped with the highly desirable competition-derived Rudge wheels, this example retains its matching-numbers engine, rear axle, and body components. Originally finished in the iconic Fire Engine Red (DB 534), it is documented with a copy of the factory delivery sheet.
This early Roadster is an ideal candidate for restoration and holds a prestigious position in the Mercedes-Benz collector car niche, as it is largely unknown.
1939 Horch 855 Special Roadster by Gläser
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.
As one of the most desirable cars of its era, this Horch 855 represents a unique opportunity for collectors and is a future star at concours events. This Horch 855 was restored and displayed at the Audi Forum in Ingolstadt, Germany, for the past three decades. It is thus in the best cosmetic condition of all the cars in the sale but will need mechanical attention to return to the road.
1964 Iso Grifo A3/L Spider Prototype by Bertone
The only original Iso Grifo convertible ever built, this one-off prototype was a companion to the A3/L prototype coupe, featuring unique styling elements. Displayed on the European auto show circuit when new, it was acquired by Rudi Klein in 1980 from renowned enthusiast Greg Garrison. Largely unseen for over 40 years, this car offers immense restoration potential and could become a prominent player on the concours stage.
Lamborghini Miuras at the RM Sotheby’s Klein Sale 2024
The Lamborghini Miura, widely regarded as the world’s first modern supercar, was revolutionary with its rear-placed V-12 engine and stunning coachwork. Three Miuras, stored in the Junkyard for over 40 years, present golden opportunities for collectors.
- The 1968 Miura P400, the 159th of 275 built, retains its matching-numbers V-12 engine and original Giallo Miura paint.
- The 1969 Miura P400 S offers an early-production example with documented provenance, finished in its original Bleu paintwork over a matching interior.
- The 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400 was the 53rd procured and is a “thin chassis” example. Being without an engine or gearbox (some may be on offer in the sale), this car necessitates “a courageous collector prepared for a comprehensive restoration… “
Two further very special auctions for which RM Sotheby’s hasn’t finalized the dates yet are for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum cars and the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R, which will be sold in Stuttgart Germany at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.