Fancy A New Project? More Than 200 Classics In Need Of Restoration Are Heading For Auction

There are barn finds, then there are barn finds. This South African collection of upwards of 200 classic cars in various states of dilapidation is definitely the latter, and the huge assortment of cars is heading to auction later this month.

The sale, run by Creative Rides, is just a small part of a collection formerly owned by Louis Coetzer, a prolific car collector in South Africa who acquired over 600 cars throughout his life. Sadly, Louis and his wife Hermein were killed in a car accident in 2020, and since then his family has been working through his vast collection and gradually selling it.

An initial group of around 140 cars was sold off back in 2021, most of which were in good working condition, but this one’s a little different, with most of the 200 or so cars in need of serious restoration. Some look like they could be brought back to life without too much work, while others are pretty much wrecks that would only be good for parts.

Clearly, Coetzer had a big passion for Mercedes, with a large part of the sale consisting of Mercs ranging from the 1950s to the ’80s. There are also a whole load of small pickup trucks, or bakkies as they’re known in South Africa. These worlds collide with what looks like a W116 Mercedes saloon that’s midway through being converted into a bakkie.

There are a few other interesting lots, though. These include an R31 Nissan Skyline in rare four-door form, a 1959 Chevrolet Impala complete with iconic tailfins, and an Alfa Romeo Alfa 6, the rear-drive saloon that marked the first appearance of the brand’s legendary ‘Busso’ V6 engine.

As well as entire cars, the sale also features plenty of sets of wheels, as well as engines including a VW Beetle flat-four, an RB30 straight-six from a Nissan Skyline and a fair few big American V8s.

None of these cars are in any sort of condition to be driven and enjoyed straight away, but hopefully as many as possible will still find buyers and either live to drive another day or supply parts so that something else can.