Illinois Most Expensive Car Auction Set for This Weekend

Throwing superlatives around willy-nilly isn’t something I tend to do. If most things have an “est”, then “est” isn’t special. You save those words for the unique things they should be used for. Anything else, and I assume you are selling me something. Ironically, this car auction, one of the most expensive ever, IS about selling things.

Klairmont Kollections warehouse - Chicago, IL.

Klairmont Kollections in Chicago has closed. Larry Klairmont collected hundreds of cars over the years, at one point having six hundred or so. Klairmont passed in 2021 at the age of 91, and his collection of unique vehicles has been on display for a few years. However, it got too expensive to keep the facility open on Knox Ave.

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With almost 300 vehicles still in the Knox Avenue location, the decision was made to have them auctioned off. Mecum Auctions will be handling the event under “Larry’s Legacy Auction” Saturday and Sunday, September 20-21. On Friday you can preview the vehicles that will be auctioned, plus get registered.

Highlights of the Klairmont Collection

Larry Klairmont had what you could call a life size Hot-Wheels collection. A crystal covered Rolls Royce, Michael Jordan’s Bentley, The Batmobile, one of a kinds and other vintage cars. It’s a singular collection that is believed to fetch in total between $12-$15 million. The money raised will go toward creating a charitable foundation. One of the areas that will benefit will be area youths that are interested in learning about the automotive industry.