Rare classic cars up for auction after huge discovery of 230 vehicles

Car enthusiasts can get their hands on a rare Lancia B24 Spider America when an impressive fleet of 230 classic cars unearthed in warehouses and an abandoned church in Holland come up for auction.

The hoard of classic vehicles, estimated at millions of euros, belonged to Dordrecht businessman Ad Palmen, 82, who started collecting cars 40 years ago, according to auction organizers. auction.

Due to Palmen’s reported poor health he could no longer keep the vehicles and they were recently purchased by Gallery Aaldering, a car dealership run by Nico and Nick Aaldering, for an undisclosed sum.

“The Palmen Barnfind Collection” will go under the hammer in the Netherlands from May 19 in an auction organized by Gallery Aaldering and Classic Car Auctions.

“This collection of barn finds is truly a unique opportunity for car enthusiasts and collectors everywhere to expand their collection,” Nico and Nick Aaldering said in a press release.

“We are very pleased to be able to auction these cars through Classic Car Auctions and look forward to seeing the interest generated by this wonderful collection.”

Carlo Te Lintelo, head of marketing at the Aaderling Gallery, told CNN on Friday that Palmen’s treasure, which includes a white Mercedes 300 S convertible, a blue Ferrari 365 and a modest Alfa Romeo Spider, was a closely guarded secret until until a fire breaks out in his home. biggest warehouse last year. A quick intervention by firefighters prevented the cars from going up in smoke.

Palmen is believed to have a deep appreciation for cars rather than a fondness for specific brands. Many models, including Maseratis, Jaguars, Aston Martins, BMWs and Facel Vegas, are in pristine condition, Te Lintelo said.

“These cars are in great condition and extremely diverse. What you often see is people focusing on one brand when collecting cars like Mercedes Benz, Jaguar or BMW. only collected expensive or exclusive cars, he bought anything he thought was beautiful,” Te Lintelo said.

He added: “This collection includes some very special cars. Like the Lancia B4 Spider America. Just to give you an idea, this car alone will sell for €600,000-700,000 (US$660,000-770,000). They are very rare, only a few of them were made. If in perfect condition, they can sell for up to 1 million euros ($1.1 million).

“Cars were his life”

According to Te Lintelo, there are still many unanswered questions about the collection because Palmen is too ill to tell his story.

“We have hundreds of questions about why he started collecting,” Te Lintelo said. “So much mystery around the cars because he can’t answer. [It’s] very sad.”

But there’s one thing Te Lintelo believes to be true: Cars were Palmen’s passion.

“He lived in the warehouse and not in a luxurious way. Cars were his life,” he said. “We want to respect his legacy. It was his whole life. Aldering Gallery brought the cars but we chose to name the collection after him to honor him.”