One man’s 200-car collection is up for grabs with no reserve

And the first batch is heading to auction this week

Most car collections take decades to create and curate. Don’t have the patience to build your own? Good news: Coys of London is selling a ready-made assortment of appealing classics – all with no reserve price.

Comprised of more than 200 vehicles – including cars, motorbikes and military machines – the collection represents the life’s work of a ‘gentleman collector’ and features a raft of rare, low-mileage motors from some of the world’s best-known marques.

A veritable smorgasbord of single-owner machines, little is known about the man who brought them together – only that he had a varied taste and kept his classics well.

Interested in kick-starting your collection? The first batch is going under the hammer at Coys’ Techno-Classica auction in Germany this Saturday, 13 April. Here’s everything that’s up for grabs.

1963 Alfa Romeo Giulietta TI

First up is a bonny ’60s runaround in the form of an Alfa Romeo Giulietta – and in top-end TI trim, no less.

A later model of the compact Mediterranean saloon that’s expected to fetch at least £19k, it crosses the block complete with correct cloth interior and Gold Plate certification from the Automotoclub Storico Italiano – which basically means it's top notch.

1990 Bentley Turbo R

From compact to cruiser, this next lot is a fine slice of ’90s Bentley luxury – and perfectly epitomises the variety on offer in this private collection sale.

With a meaty, fuel-injected V8 motor under that straight and stately hood, the understated Turbo R would happily devour many a motorway mile – though this example apparently hasn’t done so, covering just 12,000km in 29 years. It’s expected to claim at least £13k at the hammer.

1989 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham 'Louis Vuitton'

From hushed understatement to brash and flash, this silver and chrome Cadillac Brougham is the first of several Stateside machines up for grabs from the collection – and it’s nothing if not loud.

A luxury saloon in its own right, this particular example of the long-running Caddy model comes with a one-off Louis Vuitton trim, covering both the seats and the exterior roof panels.

1988 Chevrolet Blazer

From a flash Chevy to a tall one, wet weather will pose no problem for this big K5 Blazer – a late-’80s off-roader with all the trimmings. And by trimmings, we mean a fixed-mast antenna, trip odometer and improved door handle seals.

Sound appealing? The classic 4x4 could be yours from £14k if the estimate’s to be believed, though, as with all the lots from the private collection, there’s no reserve.

1973 Citroën DS20

Now for something altogether more aerodynamic – a slice of pure mid-century sci-fi in the shape of Citroën’s stunning DS, expected to fetch as much as £22k at the Essen sale.

A late example of the innovative four-door model – famed for its timeless style and incredible handling, achieved with self-levelling suspension (which also guaranteed big maintenance bills) – this 1973 number cuts a dash in dark plum red and still wears its original mustard interior. 

1970 Fiat 124 Familiare

In the market for something practical? Try this elongated example of Fiat’s mass-built family wagon, an unrestored number that’s done just 5900km since new and comes out of the collection in well-preserved condition.

With five doors and space for the family, it’s nothing if not useful – and the lower estimate of £5k makes it something of a bargain.

1981 Fiat 127

Another Fiat in fine condition, this compact hatchback might not look like much, but it’s rare to find a 127 in such original and excellent condition.

As close to new as you’ll find the diminutive ’70s machine today, the blue-on-blue coupé is worth every penny of its £6k upper estimate – not least for the original radio.

1988 Mercedes-Benz 300CE

First of many Mercs being sold in the first batch from the Essen collection is this 300CE – a fine blend of reliable engineering, 3-litre performance and cruising comfort, ideal for demolishing countless autobahn miles.

And, with a lower estimate of £9k and just 22,000km on the clock, it represents an excellent way to get an ’80s E-Class coupé. Especially if you’re a fan of blue velour trim.

1980 Mercedes-Benz 500SE

Older and more valuable, this 500SE offers much the same assurances as the 300CE, only with 5-litre power, even more executive appeal and blue leather to boot.

Highly original both inside and out, the 1980 machine ships with a contemporary car phone and a £19k upper estimate – as befits a model favoured by Nelson Mandela and every bigwig in West Germany.

1966 Fiat 850 Berlina

From four-door cruiser to two-door city car, classics don’t come much cuter than Fiat’s compact offerings of the 1960s – and this 850 Berlina is a case in point: with an 843cc motor good for 34bhp and 75mph with the wind behind it, the plucky little number could certainly punch above its weight.

And this mid-’60s example is something truly special: it has fewer than 5000km on the odometer and is still fitted with its original, well-preserved interior. It’s expected to claim at least £6k at the hammer.

1969 Fiat 850 Coupé

Another 850, this two-door coupé is an altogether brighter offering from the late 1960s.

With a body less bonny than that of the original Boano design, the revised model nevertheless benefitted from a beefier 903cc motor – and this characterful example is as bold as they come.

There’s no reserve for the Essen sale, but £8k is a realistic lower estimate.

1968 Fiat 850 Coupé

Mustard not your colour? Try ketchup instead: this all-red 850 Coupé is just as lovely as the other, with the same compact charm and plucky performance, but has a lower bottom estimate of £7k.

Pick up all three 850s from the collection and you’ll have the ingredients for a reimagined Italian job, in a spread of condiment shades.

1991 Lancia Delta HF Turbo

If hot-hatch hoonery is on your agenda, this Delta HF Turbo should definitely be in your bookmarks.

Not as nutty as the Integrale variant, the original two-wheel drive Turbo is as boxy as you like and still a bag of laughs in any supermarket car park.

And, with a lower estimate of £8k, this metallic grey number is a steal compared to the soaring prices of its more powerful cousin.

1959 Mercedes-Benz 190SL

Waiting for the collection’s showstopper? This is it: a mid-century Mercedes-Benz, smaller sibling to the world-beating 300SL and a downright stunner in its own right – yes, it’s the gorgeous 190SL.

A two-door drop-top with a luxury bent, this particular example of the elegant cruiser has enjoyed a thorough restoration, leaving everything from its 1.9-litre motor to its cream finish to its red leather interior in impeccable condition. Which probably explains its £103k upper estimate.

1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL

Don’t fancy a 190SL? Try its replacement: with straighter lines and bigger grunt, the 230SL meant business when it came to two-seat touring in the ’60s.

Equipped with a fuel-injected 2.3-litre engine good for 150bhp and more than 120mph, any SL is a quick thing.

With a sporty four-speed manual transmission, though, this gunmetal grey example is speedy indeed – and quite the looker, too. It’s expected to fetch at least £65k when it goes under the hammer in Essen.

1966 Lancia Flavia Coupé

In the market for a GT designed by Pininfarina? Don’t have the bank-breaking sums you’ll need for a Ferrari 250GTE? Fear not: the Lancia Flavia Coupé offers that Italian style at a fraction of the price. Think £26k, tops.

Many coachbuilders had a crack at shelling Lancia’s 1960s tourer, but it was Pininfarina that penned the well-proportioned coupé variant – just like the one pictured, being sold from the collection in highly original condition and coated in a striking shade of silver. 

1962 Fiat 600D

Sticking with the Italians, next from the collection is a properly compact four-seater that remains one of the cutest family cars around.

Launched in the early ’60s as a successor to the Topolino, Fiat managed to cram an extra pair of seats into the 600 on the same dinky wheelbase as its forebear, with a little motor at the back and independent suspension on all corners.

Highly original and attractive in white on black, this 1962 example of the more powerful 767cc variant is quite the package – and could fetch as much as £9k.

1990 Mercedes-Benz 300SE

Evidently the mystery ‘gentleman collector’ had a thing for German saloons, because this rare 300SE variant is far from the last Benz crossing the block at the Essen sale.

Channelling the standard Mercedes attributes of imposing performance and understated style, this black wagon ships with a sporty manual transmission not often seen on the late W126 S-Class model. Fancy it? Estimates suggest you’ll need at least £7k on Saturday.

1992 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC

For instant proof of that claim, here’s another Mercedes youngtimer from the collection – a low-mileage example of the revered 560 in two-door coupé guise.

A proper looker with performance to match, 150mph was possible with the 5.5-litre V8 running at full chat, while cabin refinement was everything you’d expect of a high-end Merc – cassette player and all.

And this low-mileage example is quite the remarkable find: with fewer than 11,000km on the clock, it heads to auction in well-preserved and impressively original condition, a black-on-black vision of the ’90s.

1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL

Or, if you want the same car with doors for four, drop your bids on this SEL from ’88 – an astoundingly low-mileage example of the V8 tourer.

Bought new by the collector, the saloon entered his stable of classics and subsequently enjoyed three decades of very careful ownership.

So careful, in fact, that it’s covered a scant 2400km in its lifetime – barely more than delivery mileage and representative of its incredible condition, inside and out. A condition mirrored by the upper estimate: £52k.

1972 VW Beetle

German cars don’t come more iconic than the Beetle – and few examples of the bonny bug are more original than this one, an unmolested 1972 number in fine form and factory spec.

Equipped with a 1300cc motor and wrapped in a shiny shade of silver, it’s everything you could want in a symbolic starter classic – especially with a £7k lower estimate and no reserve.

1966 Opel Admiral

Offering American style for a European market, Opel’s KAD wagons were everything a Cold War classic should be – namely sizeable, sober and available in many shades of grey.

This fantastic example of the big-block executive four-door heads to Essen with 20,000km on the clock, a lower estimate of £10k and a red leather interior that’s the ideal setting for your tinkering, tailoring and all the rest.

2008 Subaru WRX STi

Fancy grabbing a surefire future classic that’s as good as new? Youngest of the 24-strong bunch at Essen is this 11-year-old Subaru – a properly hot hatch with a scant 300km on its odometer.

More understated than many a rally special, the 300bhp turbo motor belies any understatement in the Scooby’s shell, firing the hatchback to 60mph in less than 5 seconds. Almost as quickly as the £30k lower estimate will diminish your bank balance.

1992 Mercedes-Benz 260 Limousine

Last of the lots and what could it be but a Mercedes? But even in a varied sale that packs a number of notable Benz machines, this elongated limo is something truly remarkable: a 2.6-litre E-Class that once ferried the infamous Colonel Gaddafi around Italy.

Finished in 1992, besides transporting the grim dictator around the Latin isle, the navy-blue number also served as executive transport for Tamoil staff – though the cruiser only racked up 9000km while performing its duties.

Subsequently preserved as part of the collection, it presents as a sound classic in its own right today – and one made only more intriguing by its storied past. How much? The lower estimate is £9k.