This wild 230-car barn find hoard is up for grabs
We’ve all been there. You buy a yellow Lancia B20, then, 40 years later, you find yourself with a collection of 230 cars. It’s like popping into a supermarket for a pint of milk, only to leave with enough groceries to feed a family of four for a week.
Granted, Ad Palmen’s story isn’t typical—the Dutchman’s collection even manages to overshadow Paul Cowland’s—but many of us of dream of owning an assemblage of classics. It’s like owning a grown-up version of the box of toy cars you had as a kid.
For four decades, Palmen lived the dream, introducing new cars to his fleet, slowly amassing one of the largest private collections in Europe.
Palmen maintained the cars, but rarely showed the collection to anyone beyond a circle of trusted friends and family. Due to his age and what the auction house calls “various circumstances,” the collection will now be sold, with the cars going under the hammer in May.
In chronological terms, the collection spans everything from a 1912 Singer to a 2006 Opel Movano pickup, but the list warrants close scrutiny. Take a look at the list on the Classic Car Auctions website and let us know what you’d like to take home from the Netherlands.
It’s an eclectic mix, featuring the likes of a Simca Aronde Oceane, Alfa Romeo Zagato 2600 SZ, Lancia Aurelia B50 Cabriolet Pininfarina, Delahaye 135M, Tatra T87, Rolls-Royce Camargue, AC Bristol Aceca, Studebaker President and no fewer than seven Facel Vegas.
Fancy a modern classic? The collection includes a Renault 19 Cabriolet, Land Rover Discovery, Jaguar XJS 4.0 Convertible, Mazda RX-7 (FC3C), Volvo 480 and Lancia Thema.
Add several motorcycles, mopeds, items of furniture, a tractor and a Hymer motorhome, and the collection hits 280 lots.
According to the Classic Car Auctions website, “It is unlikely that anyone will ever see a collection of this calibre and condition again in their lifetime.”
The team in the Netherlands now has the unenviable task of documenting and photographing every car, listing them on the website and dealing with the hundreds, if not thousands, of requests for more info.
We’ll bring you details of the star lots in due course, but in the meantime, just revel in the pics and raise a glass of Advocaat to a chap who had the Dutch courage to amass such a wonderful collection.
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Via Hagerty UK
It is an end of an era, todays & tomorrow’s market will never let this happen again, Reggie Jackson, AKA (Mr. October) did not get rich in baseball, but he had the where-with-all to see the value in cars and baseball money to be able to buy muscle car after muscle which made him very wealthy. Jackson purchased Hemi cars, Superbirds, COPO and Yenko Camaros for $1000 and under, those days are gone, never to return so these forgotten hordes of cars are a thing of the past, this sale will show that, the final tally will be astronomical. It is sad that many people will never be able to experience the thrill of a great running, great sounding, great driving collector car, the market has killed that also. I am not a Debbie Downer, just a realist, I buy, build and sell collector cars, but remember buying cars for under $1000 that today would bring $100,000.
I used to want an old classic car from the 1940s but then I realized most were only money pits unless they were restored with modern technology. Then I found a 1979 Thunderbird with only 16,500 miles on it, that was kept indoors for the last 40 years, and even though I still had to put $1500 dollars in it the first 6 months it has been otherwise been trouble free. I can only imagine what one of those old cars would cost to restore and keep running. I would only consider buying a frame off restoration for older cars with higher mileage.
Hi all,
i didn’t reed all the comments but there has been Fire at the Neightbours and that is why the cars look like this.
Groeten uit Nederland
This guy was visionary. If you look at these cars, you can’t argue that this isn’t automotive art. Who says you have to drive any of them? Someone will. Some day. Thank goodness he preserved automotive history and once sold, maybe some will see the road again.
I’ll be honest, I have no clue on many of these cars in this collection. I stick with what I know and always glad to see history either way. My classic car collection consists of 1 car. But a friend who collects artwork helped me understand car collecting. Like the art collector who buys works just to hang on a wall and know they have it, same for a car collector who may never even drive their cars, but just to store them and look at them like works of art. They have satisfaction of knowing they have it, and that’s just good enough for some.
I’m trying to keep an open mind and love most of these vehicle. Don’t want others to confuse cynicism with “negative” but why isn’t this just an indoor junk yard? Will any of these vehicles have any investment value? If not, it’s just a bunch of old junk sitting around. Please convince me otherwise.
Great story….love to see the results of the auction.
Would anyone be interested in a 1984 Black on Black, 928 Porsche 4 speed auto, needs some work. New Paint, Slick Black. been in a heated garage since 2004, The last time on road. Stopped working on it when Obama took over and started the Racial divide in our country…anyway…Its Gotta Go!! Got two to many project. So Im keeping my 65 Olds 442 Convert, and 1970 442, Bothof them are Tire Schreader’s! Been off the road since 89 & 91. Nice collection, but Im looking for my High School Triumph, 650 Bonneville. I’ll be checking out the Collection. David
I would be interested in #145 1955 Mercedes Convertible
Can’t help wondering about the owner. I’d like to hang out with him, get him talking about some of the ‘buys’ he made. Could be that he remembers each and every one. Provenance on some would be interesting.
I wonder why I see not one Porsche though. Hmm.
When I took my mechanic to see the 1952 anniversary Cadillac 62 sedan in a garage, he said, “There’s no rust on it or under it.” Bought it, had it serviced and inspected for PA roads and drove it 33,000 miles on Michelin radial tires with no failures on the road. Mechanic loved to service the car. Good gas mileage and wonderful handling. Very happy to have been on of its owners. Received awards in Cadillac-LaSalle Club car shows.
…one of its owners.