Resourcefulness is a virtue of the most prolific junkmen, but the term junkman seems less fitting when talking about a man who probably owned more Porsches than any other in California. The man is Rudi Klein, a German emigrant who arrived in Los Angeles in the 1950s, and after a string of odd jobs, Rudi founded one of the most impressive collections of foreign cars in America.
By now it’s probably clear that Rudi’s collection is different than most, in that it consists mostly of wrecked cars—predominantly Porsches—but all manners of foreign exotics have passed through his yard. Rudi’s business was Porche Foreign Auto (Rudi omitted the ‘s’ after Porsche threatened legal action years back), which he operated from 1967 until he passed away in 2001, and his yard will go down in history as one of America’s best-kept secrets.
Rudi bought up and tore down all the crashed exotics he could get his hands on, from Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Ferrari and more, with their big-ticket components bagged, tagged and shelved. From transaxles to carburetors, the auto parts business started paying serious dividends in the 1970s, and Rudi expanded his personal collection to include Lamborghini Muiras, Iso Grifos, a real-deal alloy-bodied 300 SL Gullwing and a concours-winning Mercedes-Benz 500 K Coupe.
The value of Rudi’s personal cars is in the millions, and that’s before you start factoring in the regular inventory of the wrecking yard. The whole lot is being sold by RM Sotheby’s in a live auction and an online sale as well, starting Saturday, October 26. Rudi’s personal cars are astonishing, but the true magic of the junkyard is the junk—insanely valuable cars reduced to picked-over shells—reminding us that even the most valuable cars are still just cars. Since the gems in the collection will certainly enjoy their time in the limelight, let’s take a brief walk past some of our favorite scrap in the auction.
DeTomaso Pantera A brilliant but flawed mix of Italian design and American V8 power, the DeTomaso Pantera is one of the sexiest cars of the early ’70s. Its steel-monocoque body was designed by Ghia and accommodated a 330-hp Ford 351 Cleveland V8 and a five-speed ZF transaxle. The early Pantera would go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, and it could reach around 170 mph flat out.
DeTomaso beat the cars together in Modena, and Ford provided the engines and additional tooling to improve manufacturing, and the majority of early production cars were sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealers in the states. Despite its somewhat shoddy construction and an uncomfortable, clunky driving experience, early Panteras are incredibly sought after—just not this one.
The Pantera from the junkyard is so rough, RM Sotheby’s didn’t even bother to say what year it is, and they can hardly be blamed considering there’s almost nothing to salvage. How about the two magnesium Campagnolo wheels? Nope, they’re both busted. And while the 351 Cleveland is still present, there’s a bush going on it, so the block may be beyond a few sleeves.
I’m no Pantera expert, but the early bumpers and Ghia badges on the quarter panels have me thinking 1971 or ’72, and considering the front wheels are still wrapped in Goodyear Polyglas tires, I doubt this Pantera had seen many miles before it was wrecked. It’s certainly a conversation piece and it’s selling at no reserve.
1967 Ferrari 330 GTC by Pininfarina There are GT cars, and then there are Ferrari GT cars, and if you’ve so much as sat in the driver’s seat of a V12-powered Ferrari grand tourer, you know what I mean. The interiors smell of old leather, the dash houses a staggering assortment of Veglia instruments and the wood-rimmed Nardi wheel has a magnetic force against your palms. Spacious, powerful and comfortable enough for a long drive, a Ferrari grand tourer is the car you want to be seen in.
This particular Ferrari 330 GTC is a highly desirable two-headlight ’67 model, finished in Grigio Notte silver over a super-rare Arancia (orange) Connolly leather interior. Had it not met an untimely demise in the mid-’70s, it’d probably be a $700,000 car.
Unfortunately, the 330 GTC is wrecked on all sides, with only a bit of the passenger side and trunk still holding Pininfarina’s intended shape. While it likely survived the wreck unscathed, the 4.0-liter Colombo V-12 and the rest of the driveline have been pulled—potentially used to re-power an old stablemate ages ago.
Any car can be fixed if you have the resources, but I’m not sure a restoration is in the cards for this particular car. The bones are there, and the all-important factory VIN stampings, but restoring it today would be a fool’s errand. Maybe someday.
Two Recaro Seats Most items in the Rudi Klein collection will require some significant refurbishing before they can be put back to use (to put it lightly), but you can’t say the same for this rad pair of Recaro buckets. Beyond a thorough cleaning, these Recaros look ready to rock, and they’d be just the thing for any classic ’80s Porsche or BMW that needs some interior wow factor.
RM Sotheby’s offers no further details on the lot, other than they’re up at no reserve, but a little internet sleuthing suggests they’re likely the Recaro idealseat-C model—mid-’80s vintage. The unique colorway and presumably unrestored condition of the seats suggest they could be worth a few thousand after the barn dust is knocked off.
Ferrari 275 GTS Grille People often accuse us gearheads of being hard to shop for—an unfair suggestion in my opinion. If there’s a car guy in your life who’s been extra good this year, look no further than this fine Ferrari 275 GTS grille. It’s the kind of piece you can design a room around, and the perfect centerpiece for any shop or man cave.
A good Ferrari 275 GTS spyder is worth right around a million, so safe bet this piece won’t go cheap, but imagine the smile on Christmas morning when they unwrap an iconic egg-crate Ferrari grille. Worth it in my opinion, but take that with a grain of salt—I’m a bit of a junkman myself.
1964 Porsche 356 C 1600 Coupe by Karmann There are few finer corner-carving experiences on four wheels than a Porsche 356. Its controls are antiquated—true old-school Porsche—and a meager 95 hp from its Type 616/15 flat-four demands that your gearshifting and pedal pushing be expertly executed to reach its true potential.
Outlaw 356 builds are all the rage, and the dozens of pre-911 Porsche bodies in the Rudi Klein collection fuel the gearhead drive to rescue a piece of old iron. There are dozens to pick from, but this 1964 356 C Coupe might be one of the most salvageable.
Its specification is nothing spectacular, just a run-of-the-mill U.S.-spec car from the first year of 356 C production. It was originally Signal Red over a black leather interior, and wore chrome wheels when purchased new at John Von Neumann’s Competition Motors of Culver City, California. Rudi purchased the car in 1969, so its days of tearing up Los Angeles lasted less than five years.
Besides a boatload of dents and a kinked hood, it isn’t all that bad and the original Signal Red paintwork protrudes through an old respray. Important bits of trim, door handles, interior pieces and some of the glass still remain as well.
There’s some legal maneuvering required, as this car is being sold for parts only, but I would love to see this 356 on fresh running gear with the dents hammered out and a new lease on life. The kind of project an average guy could undertake in the shed, and have a badass, ratty old Porsche on somewhat of a budget. If we could only pull the strings…
Photos by Robin Adams | RM Sotheby’s
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