Would you pay millions for a rusting sports car wreck?

Would you pay more than R500,000 for a wrecked 1969 VW Kombi pickup carrying the front half of a crashed Lamborghini Miura P400?

Apparently some classic-car investors are willing to invest big money in rusting hulks, and the Kombi-Miura package is one of the highlights of the Junkyard: the Rudi Klein collection going under the hammer at an RM Sotheby’s auction in Los Angeles, the US, on October 26.

The Kombi pickup, accompanied by the front chassis section from the Miura, has sat in Klein’s yard for decades and is one of the most famous denizens of the collection. It is offered without reserve but the auctioneers expect it to fetch between $20,000 and $30,000 (R350,000-R520,000).

Since 1967, Klein, a renowned US car collector, had amassed a sizeable collection of automotive treasures that has been rusting in peace in a scrapyard in Los Angeles. Known for his discerning eye and passion for rare and unique automobiles, Klein’s collection has long been a well-kept secret, with only rumours of its existence swirling around certain collectors’ circles.

Now RM Sotheby’s is bringing to market Klein’s extraordinary collection of rare and revered automobiles, parts and memorabilia in a series of auctions.

A glimpse into the world of a collector, the event offers bidders the opportunity to acquire significant models long thought lost or destroyed, along with a trove of automotive parts. The collection includes rare and classic scrap cars in various states of disassembly as well as engines, transmissions and other components.

If you think half a million rand sounds steep for a rusting hulk, the Kombi-Miura combo is far from the most valuable lot in the auction. That honour goes to a wrecked 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, which is expected to fetch up to $1m (R17.4m). Other highlights include a relatively intact 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 with an estimate of up to $700,000 (R12.2m), a 1963 Porsche 356 Carrera Cabriolet estimated at $150,000 (R2.6m) and a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC by Pininfarina estimated at $75,000 (R1.3m).

The full collection can be viewed at https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/rk24/lots/