An amazing trove of 230 classic cars is going up for auction

A stonking collection of classic cars is going up for sale via a Dutch auction house. The 230-strong treasure trove is being referred to as one of Europe’s largest barnfinds, though we should probably point out the cars weren't lost to begin with.

For the last 40 years, a man referred to only as ‘Mr Palmen’ has been creating his collection in Dortrecht, just south of Rotterdam. Stashing his acquisitions across two buildings and a church, the various makes and models have been kept in incredibly good condition.

Palmen would reportedly add to the collection, rarely selling any once he acquired them, and regularly started the engines to prevent them from seizing. Palmen also did all the maintenance himself.

Circumstances and older age has forced Mr Palmen to sell his vast collection to an auction house specialising in classic cars. All the vehicles have now been put under one roof and will be going up for sale imminently.

Nico & Nick Aaldering, of the Dutch auction house Gallery Aaldering which now owns the hoard, said: “This is truly a unique opportunity for car enthusiasts and collectors around the world to expand their collection…and we are very pleased to be able to auction these cars through Classic Car Auctions and look forward to seeing how much interest there is in this wonderful collection.”

The collection includes an Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ, several Facel Vegas, a Lancia Aurelia Spider, a Lancia B20, a Mercedes-Benz 300S Roadster, as well as models from Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, NSU and Maserati, to name but a few.