An extraordinary private collection assembled by passionate wine connoisseur Willy Michiels will be offered exclusively online by RM Sotheby’s from 8 to 15 September 2026

Michiels, a Belgian gaming tycoon and wine collector who amassed more than 29,000 bottles, also assembled an extraordinary automotive collection. With 95 cars and seven motorcycles, it is undoubtedly one of the largest and most diverse single-owner collections to come to market in recent years.

From Alfa Romeo to Volkswagen, sports cars to SUVs, diminutive European icons to vast American classics, the collection covers almost every corner of automotive history. It is particularly notable for its 42 Mercedes-Benz models.

Leading the sale is a matching-numbers 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, equipped with the desirable alloy-block engine and disc brakes. It is estimated at €900,000–€1.2 million.

Also offered is a striking 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster. This 16,350-kilometre example is one of approximately 520 roadsters built and carries an estimate of €250,000–€300,000. A 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, estimated at €200,000–€250,000, is already proving popular with visitors to the website.

But beyond the classic sports cars and modern collector items lies a realm of genuine automotive obscurity. These are the cars that caught our attention.

2018 Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet

Take a Geländewagen, stretch its wheelbase by more than half a metre, turn the rear compartment into a convertible, combine it with a 621-horsepower, 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged V-12, put it on the portal axles from the G 500 4x4² (complete with three locking differentials), and add Maybach S-Class rear seats. The result is the gloriously excessive G 650 Landaulet.

Only 99 were made and this example has covered just 200 kilometres from new. It is finished in Designo Mystic White over Beige Exclusive leather, with a matching beige folding soft-top covering the rear compartment.

1970 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Six-Door’ Pullman

The Mercedes-Benz 600 was a symbol of wealth, power, and excess, but it was also a showcase for advanced technology. It featured self-levelling air suspension and a hydraulic system operating at a colossal 3,000 pounds per square inch to control the seats, windows, doors, boot lid, and shock absorbers. On its release, it became the most expensive production car in the world.

Mercedes-Benz also introduced Pullman versions, the name evoking the opulence of luxury railway travel. Only 482 were built, of which just 42 were the extended-wheelbase ‘Six-Door’ limousines. Kings, heads of state, and dignitaries around the world were among those seduced by the 600 Pullman. The left-hand-drive car offered here is particularly unusual, boasting a sunroof and air conditioning. Just 11 of the ‘Six-Door’ Pullmans were configured with both options from the factory.

1957 Peugeot 203 Découvrable

A peculiar-looking car from Sochaux, the Peugeot 203 was unmistakably influenced by American sedans such as the Chevrolet Fleetline and Dodge Custom Town Sedan.

The 203 was Peugeot’s first post-war production car and introduced several technical firsts for the company, including a monocoque body, an alloy-headed engine, and hydraulic brakes. Only 2,567 Henri Thomas-designed Cabriolets were built, and this example features the later, more powerful 1,290-cc inline-four engine.

2005 Hummer H2

The Hummer brand burst onto the civilian market in 1992 with the H1. Based on the military Humvee, it quickly acquired a cult following, helped by high-profile owners such as Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In 2002, a smaller, more car-like model arrived. The H2 shared its platform with the Cadillac Escalade and was sufficiently user-friendly enough—and, by Hummer standards, svelte enough—to be sold in Europe. This example has covered just over 8,000 miles.

2009 Audi Q7 V12 TDI quattro

Ferdinand Piëch held numerous senior positions within the Volkswagen Group. A member of the Porsche family, he had longstanding ties to Volkswagen and eventually became chairman of the group in 1993. He was an engineer by training, famously exacting and relentlessly focused on detail, but is perhaps best remembered for his grandest ideas.

The Bugatti Veyron, Volkswagen XL1, and Porsche 917 all owe something to the era of Piëch. So, too, does the gloriously bonkers Audi Q7 V12 TDI. It is the only production SUV to have been fitted with a V-12 diesel engine, producing 493 brake horsepower at 3,750rpm and a

staggering 738 pound-feet of torque from just 1,750rpm. Remarkable for a supercar; ludicrous in a family SUV.

1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham d’Elegance

Pillow-style crushed-velour seats. That is what a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham d’Elegance can bring to your life.

The Fleetwood Brougham was Cadillac’s flagship in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Remarkably, this car, with its 121.5-inch wheelbase, is the shortened version: previous models rode on a vast 133-inch wheelbase. All that size provides phenomenal space and enough room to properly appreciate the grey velour. This example is finished in black with a black vinyl roof and red pinstriping.

1995 Toyota RAV4 Commercial

To qualify for commercial vehicle tax breaks in Europe, you need to make a commercial vehicle. Toyota’s solution was simple: take the first-generation, three-door RAV4, remove the rear seats, and install a partitioned cargo floor.

The beauty of this oddity is that it combines the practicality of a commercial vehicle with the refinement and dynamics of a passenger car. It also has Toyota’s capable four-wheel drive and a 2.0-litre engine paired with a five-speed manual gearbox.