Following the scandal surrounding Indiana businessman Najeeb Khan and his alleged $100-million fraud case, his impeccable and equally eclectic collection of cars is crossing the auction block later this fall in hopes of paying back at least some of the absconded funds. It’s an understatement to say this RM Sotheby’s auction, dubbed the Elkhart Collection for the Indiana location of Khan’s former company, is one of the finer vehicular collections to be sold en masse; any auction house would be over the moon to fill a docket this lavishly from an assortment of different owners, never mind the chance to offer a plug-and-play collection all in one sale.
Looking over the RM Sotheby’s Elkhart Collection auction’s extensive catalog, it looks like everything from Khan’s hangar goes. And by everything, we do mean everything. While the RM auction catalog brims with blue-chip classics and bona fide automotive icons, there’s a chunk of administrative hardware and componentry like shelves, stools, jacks, workbenches, tools, books, and trailers that were all used to keep the ill-gotten fleet in tip-top shape.
Beyond this shop-floor detritus, there’s a jaw-dropping assortment of rare parts, engines, wheels, and spares—some of which wouldn’t be out of place on a garage wall if not the source car itself. Seriously, you have to see the list to believe it, so we picked out a few of the wilder parts for your perusal. If something here looks irresistible, make sure you tune into RM Sotheby’s Elkhart Sale auction which runs from Oct.-23-24.
Fourth-Gen Dodge Viper ACR Spare Parts
Uh, yeah. If you happen to have a green-over-black fourth-gen Dodge Viper ACR and could use some spare body panels, you’d better clear some shelf space. If this strange assortment of body panels and trim pieces seem oddly specific spares to have laying around, we have a working theory we’re nearly sure of.
Delve deeper into the Elkhart Collection auction’s docket, and you’ll find a fabulously rare Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale up for grabs as well. These ultra-limited-production supercars were essentially coachbuilt fourth-gen Dodge Vipers, and the Alfa’s listing denotes this particular TZ3 was originally built specifically for this collection on the bones of an ACR X. Yep—these spares are likely what could be salvaged from Zagato’s original chop-job on a factory-fresh Viper.
Spare Ginetta Hood
Details are nonexistent regarding what specific Ginetta this hood fits onto, but from the looks of the profile, we think it’s a nice replacement bonnet for a Ginetta G4. Heck, if even you don’t have a Ginetta, this would look great mounted on a garage wall.
Messerschmitt KR200 Canopy
Upon initial discovery, we thought this would surely be the only way to get a new canopy for your Messerschmitt KR200 three-wheeled car, but a cursory search revealed these are available via special order from an online specialist. Hey, at least this is a way to beat the presumably long turnaround time.
Ferrari 3.0-liter Tipo 128D V-12
Got an old roadster shell lying around? Or maybe you’re out of ideas for that Miata engine swap? Perhaps this fully dressed, mid-century Ferrari V-12 provides some inspiration for whatever project you’re working on. There’s no info on the engine’s operational status, source, or internal condition, but it’s likely these issues will be of little consequence to the collector who snaps this up. If you do happen to slot it into a special coach-built body, may we suggest pairing it to…
Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Manual Transmission
See? The RM Sotheby’s Elkhart auction really does have everything. Imagine building out a bare-metal barchetta bullet for this engine. Now, where did we leave our spare Fabergé egg collection to sell…
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Drum Brakes and Hubs
The legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is purportedly one of the least maintenance-intensive blue-chip cars, but parts do need replacing eventually. If you’re in need of a new set of drums, get your bidding in when the auction goes live.
Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Hood
Again, there’s no accompanying info regarding authenticity and provenance of this aluminum masterpiece, but it likely has more than a few Jaguar enthusiasts in a tizzy, especially since it can hide the Elkhart Collection’s E-Type Lightweight engine underneath.
Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Engine
That’s right—there’s an engine to go with the hood. No word on power, condition, or provenance, but with an engine that sounds this good, we’re not asking questions. Perhaps more important, the RM Sotheby’s Elkhart auction might just be the most entertaining collection we’ve ever seen, and there’s more to come.