An incredible classic car barn find has been discovered in the Netherlands, owned by a man named Mr. Palmen. He started collecting cars about four decades ago with a yellow Lancia B20 being the first car. Mr. Palmen was a professional dealer in rare and special cars from the mid-’60s before he started collecting and over the years, his collection grew to epic proportions.
With a population of up to 230 automobiles, Mr. Palmen’s collection consists of legendary classics that range from various origins. There are Italians (Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati, and Ferrari), French (Facel Vega), Germans (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and NSU), British (Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Rolls-Royce), and Americans (Chevrolet, Cadillac, and Ford) in the said collection, so the brad diversity is unprecedented.
The collection also has some obscure brands, namely Tatra, Monica, Moretti, Matra, Alvis, Imperia, and Villard.
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The collection is stored in a church and two dry but dusty warehouses. The cars are well-preserved and showcase Mr. Palmen’s refined taste and extensive knowledge of rare and special cars.
According to the Gallery Aaldering, Mr. Palmen rarely showed the collection to anyone, making it one of the best-kept secret car collections in Europe. He kept most of the collection in an unrestored and original condition, maintaining the cars himself and starting them on a regular basis to keep the engines from being seized.
Unfortunately, due to the owner’s age and various circumstances, the collection will now be sold. The cars, located in Dordrecht, are now housed in one building, making it easier for the entire collection to be sold. The auction will take place through a major online auction, with Gallery Aaldering as the host.
For car enthusiasts and collectors around the world, this is an exciting and rare chance to expand their collections. A collection of this caliber and condition is something that would be hard to let pass. The bidding for this unique barn find will begin in May.
