Nothing intrigues the humble gearhead more than an excellent barn find. The idea that our automotive heroes lay in a dilapidated warehouse gathering dust never ceases to inspire enthusiasts worldwide. And for a good reason, some of the greatest barn finds in the world have contained true automotive royalty from the likes of Ferrari, Shelby, and even a Dodge Charger Daytona forced to spend its formative years among cows!
However, A recent discovery in Europe may be the most extraordinary barn find ever brought to light; the “Palmen Collection” contains no fewer than 230 unrestored classic cars. The Palmen collection has quickly become one of the most mysterious car collections in Europe thanks to Mr. Palmen’s elusive nature and highly diverse taste in exotic vehicles. Europe’s bizarre collection is going under the hammer in 2023 as Mr. Palmen waves goodbye to his vast sum of classic cars, but what’s the story behind Mr. Palmen? And Why lock away automotive classics, such as the Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider, inside a church for 40 years?
Using data from classiccar-auction.com and gallery-aaldering.com. Let’s take a look at The Palmen Barn Find Collection in detail.
The Palmen Barn Find Collection: An Overview
Mr. Palmen’s tastes were simply unmatched; an evident love of Italian cars is present within the collection, such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia. Italian classic cars represent many of the 230-strong fleet—even defunct brands such as Moretti and French automaker, Matra feature among the dusty crew. In fact, The Palmen collection is possibly the only place you will find an MGB GT sitting alongside a 1972 Lamborghini Espada, both equally unique as the other.
Price is also an interesting point. One of the cheaper cars is a €3,900 1967 Bond Equip GT, even a Vauxhall Vectra worth peanuts today sits among the crowd. However, within that same collection lies automotive royalty, such as the 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America which costs an average $924,000 today!
Europe’s finest barn find also presents some of America’s most controversial icons, such as the notorious Ford Edsel and Chevrolet Corvair. It’s hard to think these cars sat alongside truly unique automobiles such as the 1948 Tatra T87, a car built by the third-oldest automaker in the world!
From a Ferrari Dino to a C3 Chevrolet Corvette, the man didn’t care for badge snobbery, a highly unique and respectable trait among the automotive fraternity.
The Collection’s Most Notable Vehicles
1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America
The Pininfarina-designed Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America is one of the rarest cars in the Palmen collection. Just 240 units reached the tarmac in total. Mr. Palmen’s prized luxury sports car arrives in stunning blue, sporting just 6,397 miles on the odometer.
Limited Production Specs
|
Production |
1950-1958 |
|
Units Produced |
240 |
|
Unique Features |
Convertible |
|
Displacement |
2.5-liter V6 |
|
Power |
118 hp |
1958 Maserati 3500 GT
The Maserati 3500 GT is one precious classic car. The 3500 GT was the first car from the Italian automaker designed entirely for production purposes. Manufactured between 1957-1964, the Italian Grand Tourer developed a whopping 220 hp from a plucky six-cylinder engine. The example from the Palmen Collection displays a mere 9,198 miles upon its odometer, despite clearly needing a good polish.
Limited Production Specs
|
Production |
1957-1964 |
|
Units Produced |
2,226 |
|
Unique Features |
First production Maserati |
|
Displacement |
3.5-liter |
|
Power |
220 hp |
Alfa Romeo Zagato 2600SZ Coupe
Sporting just 25,899 miles on the clock, the Alfa Romeo Zagato 2600SZ Coupe is one of 105 manufactured. Alfa’s fiery coupe, fettled by Zagato Coachbuilders, started life as a regular Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint. Zagato’s legendary treatment saw the 145-hp roadster beautifully reshaped with its iconic Kamm-Tail rear end. Examples of the fabled Italian sports car have recently closed in on $100,000.
Limited Production Specs
|
Production |
1965-1967 |
|
Units Produced |
105 |
|
Unique Features |
‘Kamm-Tail” rear end |
|
Displacement |
2.6-liter |
|
Power |
145 hp |
Who Is The Mysterious Mr Palmen?
Although his extraordinary collection has surfaced, Mr. Palmen remains as elusive as ever. Palmen is described as a Dutch businessman/entrepreneur, Mr. Palmen began collecting cars around 40 years ago after purchasing his first, the game-changing Lancia B20.
What started as a hobby became a burning passion as the collection grew exponentially to a 200+ fleet of classic cars. Luckily for spectators today, Mr. Palmen isn’t as fussy as most collectors. The Dutch gearhead purchased vehicles from the likes of Ferrari, Ford, Rolls-Royce, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, Lancia, Matra, Imperial, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Cadillac, Chevrolet… the list is endless.
To add further fuel to Mr. Palmen’s background, the Dutchman carried out the majority of the maintenance himself, ensuring all 230 classic cars retained their original condition. The Dutchman ensured every one of his vehicles churned through fuel on a regular basis.
When he wasn’t tinkering, Mr. Palmen’s Extensive knowledge and eclectic taste were matched only by his secretive nature. Neighboring businesses who had spent decades in the area were never made aware of what Mr. Palmen had stashed away in his abandoned church. Even those who knew of his collecting habits couldn’t persuade the man to reveal all!
Mr. Palmen is currently in his 80s, and due to “circumstances,” the legendary Dutch gearhead has pulled back the curtain on his treasure trove of classic cars, allowing the rest of the automotive fraternity a chance to continue enjoying his exotic haul.
Where And How Was The Palmen Collection Discovered?
The Palmen Collection came to fruition in Mr. Palmen’s Native Dordrecht, Western Netherlands. Pronounced “Dort” in English.
Europe’s most astonishing barn find was discovered due to a fire in the area, revealing the enthusiast’s remarkable wares for the first time. Luckily, local fire services prevented the inferno from incinerating the Dutchman’s highly valuable Mercedes 300S!
Mr. Palmen stored his 200+ fleet of automotive classics across three buildings, including two warehouses, and an abandoned church! Although his storage is considered unorthodox, the vehicles remain “dry but dusty,” ensuring the lack of moisture has aided their original condition.
The Palmen Collection now resides under one roof, slowly separating as its new owners, Gallery Aldering, host online auctions between May/June 2023.
While Mr. Palmen’s astonishing fleet remains in original condition, its Worth warning potential buyers these exotics remain entirely unrestored. Possibly leading to lengthy restoration projects if new owners seek to return them to their former glory
The post The Stunning 230-Car Collection Someone Concealed In A Church For 40 Years appeared first on Italian News Today.
