Hundreds of rusting vintage cars parked at an auto graveyard in the Swiss village of Kaufdorf, south of Bern, are to be auctioned off today week.

The Autofriedh of Franz Messerli car cemetery is a vast metal jungle of more than 1,000 rusting vintage cars, including forgotten British Wolseleys, "sit up and beg" Ford Prefects, rotting Porsches and even the wreck of a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud. It must be the biggest graveyard of its kind in Europe.

The collection of decaying old-timers, which go back to the late-1920s, sits in makeshift corrugated iron garages and among trees on the edge of Kaufdorf, some 16 kilometres south of Switzerland's capital Bern. After surviving for 75 years, the authorities have declared that the collection is an environmental hazard and intend to clear it by court order later this year.

When the plan was first announced last year, it provoked uproar among concerned Kaufdorf locals and more than just a few other Swiss residents. When an open day was held in protest, the organisers expected about 50 people to attend, but 10,000 turned up.

Walter Messerli opened what was originally intended as a vehicle breaker's yard in 1933. A part-time racing driver and scrap-metal dealer, he was fascinated by cars and even taught himself to be a mechanic.

At its peak, his collection numbered about 2,000 vehicles.

He started collecting the more remarkable examples. "He wanted to open a museum which would cover the history of modern motoring," his son Franz Messerli, who took over the graveyard in 1975, said.

He said both he and his father had fought for years for the right to retain the site. In 1975 he bowed to local council demands and planted trees because of complaints it was an eyesore.

However, the authorities have now acquired a court order to clear the car graveyard. So 789 of the rusty relics are to be sold by auction next week.