ROLLINSFORD — Terry Bennett bought his first car — a 1928 Chevrolet — when he was just 8 years old.

“I bought and sold it four times,” he says. “The last time was to an adult who drove it off into the sunset.”

Over the past several decades, the Rollinsford physcian has picked up a few more classic cars, including a one-off hand-built Honoré Wagner BMW Post War Race Car, a 1925 Lancia Roadster, a 1929 Franklin seven-passenger sedan and a 1930 Cadillac.

At an auction this week, they'll all be available for driving off into the sunset.

Bennett, 74, who is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, decided to sell most of his extensive collection — worth an estimated $8 million — during a two-day sale scheduled to begin Friday, Sept. 21, at 8 a.m. at his home at 658 Silver St.

While the variety is overwhelming, a lot of the value lies in the stories and history behind many of the vehicles — from a hand-built Swartley Special, which raced in the early 1950s, to a pair of crew-cab diesel trucks that were not produced in America.

With a prodigious memory for details, Bennett recalled the facts about engines, power, speed or historical significance that first caught his eye, like the hand-built Honoré Wagner BMW Post War Race Car.

“It's a beautiful car,” Bennett said, adding he purchased it for the sleek, shimmering beauty of the racer.

Unfortunately, Bennett said it's been sitting in his barn for decades. Nonetheless, Bennett is overseeing the process to restore the car, which still has the original body, chassis and engine.

“It runs like a clock,” Bennett said, adding there's a video on YouTube of him driving it down his long driveway.

Bennett feels it's time to part with many of his treasures.

“I'd like to be out of debt and have something for my wife and daughter,” Bennett said, adding he prefers handling the auction himself, rather than having them deal with it after he dies.

He easily recalled the tales and details behind a slew of Mini-Coopers, a Peugeot — similar to Detective Colombo's distinctive ride — and a pair of 16-valve Cosworth Mercedes — which were popular with European race car drivers.

“All of these cars have some kind of story,” Bennett said, adding the Cosworths were sports cars built to look like sedans.

Additionally, Bennett is selling bronze bank doors, collectible chairs, antique toys, bicycles, stained-glass doors, metal signs, a 12-foot clock and a slew of engines and tires — for Jaguars, Porsches and others.

As a longtime collector, Bennett said this is the kind of auction he would have loved to attend.

“If you come here knowledgeable and know what you're looking for, you could buy $1 million worth of stuff,” Bennett said.

A free, full-day preview — set for Thursday, Sept. 20 — allows prospective buyers to look over the items, which are broken down into more than 1,100 lots. Anyone can pay $10 to be a spectator during auction days, but bidder registration costs $50 and admits two to the auction, which is being run by Auctions America, a subsidiary of RM Auctions.

Donnie Gould, president of Auctions America, said Bennett's collection is a “very eclectic mix” that has something for everyone.

“You'll never see anything like this diversity again,” Gould said.

Due to space constraints at the auction site, free parking is available at the Dover Ice Arena, 110 Portland Ave. in Dover. A free shuttle is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. on the day of the auction, which will be held under a large tent.

Eventually, Bennett, who runs Clinic on the Common in Rochester, plans to sell his home, which was built in 1851, and the property to provide his family with a smaller place to live in.

Bennett, the son of a physician, said he misses his first car even though he amassed quite a collection of vehicles since that 1928 Chevrolet — from bicycles to scooters to boats to motorcycles to racers — and a barn full of other items he's collected over the years.

Following his graduation from Harvard Medical School in 1964, Bennett served in Morocco with the Peace Corps and later worked as a consultant for corporations in Saudi Arabia, where he was able to acquire a number of unique vehicles in the 1970s.

By secretly treating Saudi sheiks for drug addiction — which is punishable by decapitation — Bennett said he was able to amass a collection of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces, Mercedes and Jeeps.

As a result, Bennett was able to procure more vehicles and other items, some of which were sold during two previous auctions. In 1991, Bennett donated the proceeds of an auction helped provide scholarships to students in need at Harvard Medical School.

“In my life, I have been ruled by two passions — automobiles and medicine,” Bennett said, adding his memory has served him well in both.

For details or to view an updated list of auction offerings, visit auctionsamerica.com.