Behind the gates of his Los Angeles junkyard, protected by steel fencing and razor wire, German immigrant and businessman Rudi Klein spent 40 years amassing an incredible array of rare European classic cars. Klein died in 2001, leaving behind his near-mythic collection of exotics from Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Lamborghini, either stored in racks or tucked away inside tin-roofed buildings.
Now, for the first time, one of the world’s most secret car collections is being auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s in its “The Junkyard: The Rudi Klein Collection” sale. A live auction, with 208 lots, takes place on October 26, while 358 lots will be sold online between October 26 and 28. All are at no reserve. For lovers of Lamborghini‘s iconic V-12-engined, Bertone-designed Miura, arguably the world’s first supercar, the auction will include not one, but three restorable examples.
Three unrestored and neglected examples of the Lamborghini Miura set to be auctioned through RM Sotheby’s.
Patrick Ernzen, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
“Each car will necessitate a courageous collector prepared for a comprehensive restoration,” says Cary Ahl, car specialist at RM Sotheby’s, “but the rewards for bringing these incredible supercars back to their former glory is immense.”
Arguably the most significant example of the three, lot No. 303 is a 1968 Miura P400, believed to have been first owned by Lamborghini engineer and test driver Claudio Zampolli, who went on to found the supercar marque Cizeta. Zampolli reportedly shipped the car to Southern California in the late 1970s, with Rudi Klein’s Porche Foreign Auto Wrecking company (yes, that’s Porche, no ‘s’) acquiring the car in 1978.
This 1968 Miura P400, believed to have been first owned by Lamborghini engineer and test driver Claudio Zampolli, could sell for as much a $700,000.
Patrick Ernzen, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Having sat slowly deteriorating for more than 46 years, this bright aqua green Miura, the 159th of 275 built, comes with its original, matching-numbers V-12 engine—making 350 hp—and original, though slightly dented-and-dinged, Bertone bodywork. RM Sotheby’s has it estimated at between $500,000 and $700,000.
Equally collectible is lot No. 300, a 1969 Miura P400 S—chassis No. 4070—finished in its original metallic blue paint and complete with its original S-spec 370 hp, 4.0-liter V-12. Rudi Klein reportedly bought the car, again in 1978, from a California owner after it had been in a traffic accident and suffered a front-end crunch. Sadly, the car’s distinctive clamshell hood and rocker panels are missing.
Also carrying a high-end estimate of $700,000, this 1969 Miura P400 S is missing its distinctive clamshell hood and rocker panels.
Patrick Ernzen, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
“It is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable Miura S examples offered in recent memory. It deserves a brave new owner, one who is committed to bringing this incredible supercar back to life,” says Ahl.
Yet perhaps the rarest of the three is lot No. 306, a red 1967 Miura P400, the 53rd Miura built and one of the 120 coveted “thin chassis” examples. These early cars were constructed from thinner 0.9 mm steel, in contrast to the 1 mm steel used in later models. According to RM, these are highly prized by collectors for their lighter construction and purity of design.
This 1967 Miura P400, the 53rd Miura built, is one of the 120 coveted “thin chassis” examples.
Patrick Ernzen, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Records show this 1967 Miura was sold new in Italy and imported to California in May 1979, when it was titled to an owner in the affluent Baldwin Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. A major mechanical issue saw it relegated to Rudi Klein’s yard in June 1980. That mechanical issue might be the reason the car is currently missing its engine and transmission, which explains the auction house’s lower price estimate of between $350,000 and $450,000.
Are these three basket-case Miuras worth the significant cost of an exhaustive, ground-up restoration? Consider that a restored 1972 Miura P400 SV sold at the RM Sotheby’s Dare to Dream auction in June for $4.9 million, besting its high-end estimate of $3.5 million.
Click below for more photos of these three forgotten Lamborghini Miuras.
Three forgotten examples of the Lamborghini Miura set to be auctioned through RM Sotheby’s.
Patrick Ernzen, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s