Over 200 Classic Cars Found in Holland

by Tim Healey

Published: April 17th, 2023

Talk about barn finds. Or in this case, warehouse and church finds.

CNN reports that 230 classic and/or rare cars have been found in a warehouse and abandoned church in Holland.

Businessman Ad Palmen has been collecting cars for 40 years, and the now 82-year-old is in failing health.

So a local dealership run by two brothers has purchased the collection for an undisclosed sum.

The cars will be auctioned in the Netherlands on May 19.

Some of the cars in the fleet include a Lancia B24 Spider America, Mercedes-Benz 300 S convertible, Ferrari 365, and Alfa Romeo Spider.

The collection wasn't public knowledge until a fire broke out last year. The fire was contained before it could do much damage, but the secret got out.

Other cars include various Maseratis, Jaguars, Aston Martins, BMWs, and Facel Vegas.

Not much is known about Palmen and why he has been collecting cars for four decades, and he's too sick to talk. But it seems obvious the man has a passion for cars, and the money to buy some rare rides.

The condition of the vehicles is unknown but pictures on the CNN Web site show that most appear dirty, dingy, and a bit banged up -- though certainly salvageable if professional restorers get involved.

[Image: Peeradontax/Shutterstock.com]

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Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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8 of 16 comments

Add Lightness on Apr 17, 2023

Sounds Schlumpf-like as he bought whatever he figured was nice, not just 'investments'.

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- Jeff S on Apr 17, 2023
  
  True he is a real car enthusiast and usually a real enthusiasts does not limit themselves to just one brand of car they usually collect many. Jay Leno is a perfect example of a real car enthusiast. Jay has a deep passion for cars which goes well beyond them being investments.
  
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- Bobbysirhan on Apr 18, 2023
  
  Jay Leno keeps his cars in operational condition and seems pretty committed to using them. This guy was a hoarder.
  
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- Jeff S on Apr 19, 2023
  
  Just because Leno has a lot of cars doesn't mean he is a hoarder. Below is the definition and description of a hoarder.
  Hoarding disorder is an ongoing difficulty throwing away or parting with possessions because you believe that you need to save them. You may experience distress at the thought of getting rid of the items. You gradually keep or gather a huge number of items, regardless of their actual value.
  Hoarding often creates extremely cramped living conditions with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter. Countertops, sinks, stoves, desks, stairways and all other surfaces are usually piled with stuff. You may not be able to use some areas for their intended purpose. For example, you may not be able to cook in the kitchen. When there's no more room inside your home, the clutter may spread to the garage, vehicles, yard and other storage areas.
  Hoarding ranges from mild to severe. In some cases, hoarding may not have much impact on your life, while in other cases it seriously affects your daily functioning. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hoarding-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20356056
  
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- Bobbysirhan on Apr 19, 2023
  
  I was contrasting the guy with 230 cars slowly decomposing to Jay Leno, who maintains and uses his cars.
  
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Dukeisduke on Apr 18, 2023

Here's another article (with more pictures) in Hemmings:

Barn Find Uncovers 230 Rare Cars Made By Aston Martin, Ferrari, BMW, Maserati, Lancia, Ford, Chevrolet, and More | Hemmings

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Arthur Dailey on Apr 18, 2023

According to the linked article, the owner lived in the warehouse where he kept the majority of his vehicles. He is no longer capable of explaining/describing his collection or approach. This is a rather eclectic collection. As @dukeisduke stated "I don't know anything about art, but I know what I like."

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Rick T. on Apr 18, 2023

Not a perjorative observation, but this - and what most people have of anything - is an accumulation, not a collection. Collections tend to be very focused on something in particular and collectors work to completeness. I don't have a collection of anything but I have a number of accumulations where I buy what I like and can afford.

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