Classic Trader auctions more than 200 vehicles from the Villach Collection with no reserve price

Classic Trader is holding an online auction featuring 201 vehicles from the former Villach Vehicle Museum. Thirty-five cars and 166 motorcycles, mopeds and scooters of the Villach Collection will be auctioned without a reserve price. Bids can be submitted from 3 to 15 March 2026, with viewings possible on 14 and 15 March. The auctions will end on 15 March at 5 p.m. local time. All you need to participate is a verified user account at www.classic-trader.com.

The beginnings of the Museum in Villach

In 1987, Rudolf Pirker founded the Vehicle, Radio and Clock Museum in Villach in the Austrian province of Carinthia. His motivation was not to create a ‘glossy museum’ with rare and expensive vintage cars, but to take visitors on a journey through time. A journey in which guests should recognise themselves. By focusing on everyday cars, mopeds and scooters from the 1950s and 1960s, numerous contemporary witnesses were found, most of whom the guests had probably come into contact with in their youth and with whom they had an emotional connection.

The museum in Villach became a popular meeting place for those who wanted to see their first Lohner scooter again or the Renault 4 they used to take on holiday. With the death of the collector and museum founder five years ago, an era came to an end. It quickly became clear to his sons that they could not run the museum with the same dedication as their father.

Finally, the decision was made to rent out the property and sell the vehicle collection. For such an extensive task as selling the entire Villach collection, the descendants turned to the experts at Classic Trader. The deciding factors were their many years of expertise and success in marketing collector’s vehicles and entire collections, the extraordinary development of Classic Trader’s online auctions in recent years, their international reach and the personal commitment of the people involved.

For Michael Gross, Director of Auctions at Classic Trader, the upcoming auction is a milestone: “The Villach Collection is a very special collection. It bears witness to the emergence of private transport in the 1950s and 1960s. Being able to sell this heritage, which Rudolf Pirker has assembled, to other collectors and enthusiasts at auction is both an exciting task and a responsibility.”

Great history and little treasures in the Villach Collection

The Villach Collection comprises 35 cars and 166 two-wheelers. The range of cars starts with a 1938 FIAT Topolino. It is said to have been dismantled during the war and hidden under a cinema so that it would not be used as armaments material. It was later rediscovered and reassembled. The most recent examples are a VW Golf II from West Germany and one of the last Trabant 601s ever built in the GDR – which has never been registered and is still in mint condition. It was particularly important to Mr Pirker that his exhibits were as original as possible, so when the vehicles were inspected, it was found that most of the cars showed signs of original paintwork and extremely low mileage.

Among the 166 two-wheelers, there is a focus on mopeds and scooters from Austrian brands. A comprehensive collection of scooters from HWM, Lohner and Puch makes up a large part of the collection, alongside other European makes and motorcycles with larger engine capacities. Based on the total estimated values, total proceeds in the mid six-figure range appear realistic.

No reserve price for all vehicles 

All vehicles are presented at www.classic-trader.com/villach. Bids can be submitted between 3 March 2026, 5:45 p.m. and 15 March 2026, 5:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Anyone with a verified Classic Trader account can participate in the auctions. Classic Trader charges a fee of 8.5% of the hammer price (including VAT), with a minimum of £500 (including VAT) for cars, motorcycles and scooters. A reduced minimum fee of €250 (including VAT) applies to the two-wheeled categories of mopeds and light motorcycles.

All auctions are ‘no reserve auctions’, which means that all vehicles are sold without a minimum price, increasing the chances of acquiring a coveted item below market price. Classic Trader expressly points out that the vehicles have been standing unused in a museum for the last few years and are therefore not registered and not roadworthy.

What makes this auction special is that on the last weekend of the ongoing online auctions, there will be an opportunity to view the vehicles in Villach. Visitors can register online and bid directly on site using special auction QR codes on the vehicles. The Classic Trader team will be on hand to help with registration and explain the procedure and bidding process if necessary.

For more information, visit:
www.classic-trader.com/villach

Author: Paolo Ollig

As editor-in-chief Paolo regularly writes about all the big and small stories related to classic cars and motorbikes. Classic dreams: Lamborghini Countach and Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. View all posts by Paolo Ollig →