Rudi Klein, a German immigrant who arrived in North America in the late 1950s, initially started working as a butcher. He soon realized that he could earn more by scrapping and trading European cars. That is why he founded his company Porche Foreign Auto in 1967; with a deliberate spelling mistake because car manufacturer Porsche threatened to prosecute him legally. From 1967 onwards, Klein used the income from his car scrapyard to buy dozens of exotic cars and even prototypes of European origin. He made no distinction between cars with damage and cars in good condition. Because his collection was not publicly accessible, very few people got to see Klein’s cars and the collection eventually acquired almost mythical proportions.

Forgotten classics
The collection has been a well-kept secret for a long time. Only a number of other collectors of enthusiast cars were aware. Rudi Klein was known for his keen eye and passion for rare and unique cars. He had a penchant for forgotten classics and unique gems such as the Lamborghini Miura and the iconic Mercedes 300 SL. Cars that, even in discarded condition, make many car hearts beat faster. After Rudi Klein’s death in 2021, his family initially kept the collection as he had left it. The cars remained untouched in the junkyard, exposed to the blazing California sun. Just like its equally unique collection of parts, including many complete engine blocks, wheels and other sought-after car parts.

Well kept secret
Recently, RM Sotheby’s, a collector car auction company, auctioned ‘The Junkyard: the Rudi Klein Collection’. The auction provided a rare glimpse into the world of a very special collector and offered people the opportunity to bid on iconic models. Cars that many thought were long lost or destroyed. In addition to the many cars, the collection of car parts also went under the hammer. The auctioned collection raised a total of $29.6 million. Not bad for a collection of junked cars, right?