There’s gold in scrap metal if it has the right shape and provenance. A collection of crashed classic cars and rusting motoring memorabilia was sold for millions of dollars at an RM Sotheby’s auction held in the US at the weekend.

Eager collectors snapped up over 200 lots of rare rusting hulks, body parts and mechanical components at The Junkyard: The Rudi Klein Collection auction in Los Angeles, California. Klein, who died in 2001, had since 1967 amassed an automotive trove of crash-damaged sports cars and components in his Los Angeles scrapyard. Known for a discerning eye and passion for rare and unique cars, Klein’s collection had long been a well-kept secret, with only rumours of its existence swirling around certain collectors’ circles. Some were significant models long thought lost or destroyed...

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