There's a heavy feeling in the car community's collective chest knowing that one of the most magical places in the automotive world is about to close its doors forever. The Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum in Chicago, Illinois, has long been a pilgrimage site for enthusiasts who recognize that automobiles are more than mere means of transportation. They're rolling memories, technological marvels, and time capsules that tell the story of American ingenuity and dreams.

However, an undeniable excitement is building around what's to come next. This September 19-21, Mecum Auctions will host "Larry's Legacy: From the Larry Klairmont Collection," a fitting tribute to a man who spent his lifetime preserving automotive history for future generations. While the museum's closure is unfortunate news for enthusiasts, this auction celebrates the passion, dedication, and curiosity that have kept vehicles and their stories alive.

Now, automobiles from Klairmont's impressive collection will be individually showcased one final time in a preview from September 13 to 14 before the vehicles are rehomed.

Over the years, Larry Klairmont became more than a collector: he became a curator of dreams. For decades, he scoured the country, rescuing forgotten classics from barns, estate sales, and the inevitable march of time. What made Klairmont special wasn't just his eye for rare metal but his understanding that these cars needed to be shared, not hoarded. His museum became a democratization of automotive excellence, where anyone could walk among million-dollar classics and equally rare, yet equally fascinating, curiosities.

Those who visited the collection know they witnessed something special. It was like stepping into an automotive wonderland, where a 1930s Auburn Speedster sat alongside a futuristic concept car, and muscle cars rubbed shoulders with elegant pre-war classics. Klairmont understood something that many collectors miss: automotive history isn't just about the expensive or the famous, it's about the full spectrum of human creativity on wheels. It's about pushing boundaries, exploring innovations, and just admiring a special kind of beauty that stays in your mind even if it's just a quick glimpse on a freeway.

The centerpiece of this upcoming auction reads like something from a science fiction novel: the Golden Sahara II. Created in the late 1950s, this custom car is more like a rolling crystal ball that showed America what the future might look like. With its translucent body panels, aircraft-inspired design, and space-age aesthetics, the Golden Sahara II captured the optimism and technological dreams of post-war America. It toured the country, appeared in magazines, and fired the imagination of a generation that believed we'd all be driving cars like this by 1975.

That this incredible machine has survived in Klairmont's care speaks to his role as a steward of automotive culture. How many other Golden Sahara IIs exist? Zero. This is it, the only one, and soon it will have a new caretaker.

Then there's the 1926 Rickenbacker Eight Super Sport, another unicorn in the truest sense. Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, America's top World War I flying ace, lent his name to this luxury marque that existed for just over a decade. The company's cars were engineering marvels, featuring innovative four-wheel brakes when most cars still relied on rear-wheel brakes only. This particular Super Sport is believed to be the last of its kind, a survivor of a forgotten chapter in American automotive history.

But Klairmont's vision extended far beyond these showstoppers. His muscle car collection reads like a greatest hits album of American performance: the kind of machines that defined an entire generation's relationship with speed and power. These weren't gathering dust in trailers: many were the kind of cars that could still bark to life and remind you why the late 1960s and early '70s were the golden age of American performance. From thundering big-block Chevelles to fire-breathing Hemi 'Cudas, Klairmont understood that these cars represented more than just horsepower: they were symbols of American confidence and engineering prowess.

The pre-war classics tell an even more fascinating story. Klairmont had an incredible eye for the elegant, the rare, and the forgotten. His collection of early automobiles was intended to preserve the experimental spirit of the industry's pioneering years. These are vehicles from an era when every manufacturer was still figuring out what a car should be, resulting in mechanical diversity that we'll never see again. Brass-era machines with their exposed mechanical symphonies, art deco masterpieces that looked like they belonged in a Gatsby novel, and engineering experiments that pushed the boundaries of what was possible with the technology of the day.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Klairmont also maintained an impressive collection of military and utility vehicles that many collectors overlook. His Jeeps and military vehicles tell the story of American industrial might during wartime — functioning pieces of history that served on battlefields and helped win wars. From early Willys MB Jeeps that stormed the Normandy beaches to specialized military vehicles that most people have never even heard of, this portion of the collection demonstrates Klairmont's understanding that automotive history encompasses both the workhorses and the show ponies.

And then there are the concept cars: those glorious one-offs that manufacturers built to showcase their vision of tomorrow. These aren't just cars; they're three-dimensional automotive dreams, built when designers were convinced we'd all be driving atomic-powered bubble cars by the year 2000. Each concept car in his eclectic collection represents countless hours of speculation about what transportation might become, frozen in fiberglass and chrome. They're time capsules of optimism, showing us what each era believed the future would look like. Another room in Klairmont's incredible collection is focused on microcars, ranging from rare concepts to sporty roadsters, all tiny yet mighty in design and innovation.

The most poignant aspect of this entire event is the museum's final weekend. September 13-14th will mark the last time the public can experience Larry's collection as he intended — as a complete, cohesive celebration of automotive history. For those of us who have made regular pilgrimages to Chicago to walk among these machines, it's our last chance to see them in their intended habitat.

As much as it may hurt the car community to see this collection dispersed, there's something beautiful about Mecum's celebratory sale to follow. These 295 vehicles won't disappear: they'll find new homes with collectors who, hopefully, share Larry's passion for preservation and sharing. The Golden Sahara II might end up in another museum. That Rickenbacker might inspire someone to research and document the marque's history. Each car will carry with it a piece of Klairmont's legacy.

With no reserve for any of these vehicles or Road Art pieces, this is an exceptional opportunity for collectors to own a piece of automotive history from a collection that has captured the joy and enthusiasm of car creation and ownership throughout history. Klairmont's personality is evident in every corner of this collection, from his sense of humor in the oddball cars to his appreciation for craftsmanship in the concours-quality restorations, making this auction an emotional, exciting, and special weekend for car enthusiasts. Register to bid on these beauties here.