A junkyard has many purposes, but it's also where abandoned cars are collected before being scrapped and recycled. But some junkyards are also abandoned before they're cleared, and the vehicles end up rotting away for decades. The scrapyard you see here is one of those places.
Documented by YouTube's "journey_with_jay," this US junkyard has been abandoned since the 1980s. That's around 40 years as of 2024 and long enough for the land to be reclaimed by nature. This place is pretty much a forest littered with old cars, which is sad and intriguing at the same time.
The exact location of this yard is a mystery, but our host says it's home to several hundred cars, so it's pretty big. Like many junkyards, it has a selection of automobiles from various eras, but most are from the 1940s to the 1970s. The most recent car is a 1980s Ford Crown Victoria, which hints at when the yard was disabled.
This Crown Victoria is also an interesting specimen because it's a police cruiser with all the specific gear inside the cabin. Police departments do not discard vehicles with radars and radio systems in them, and it's almost shocking that no one has stolen them so far. On the other hand, maybe it's just a prop created for a movie or something like that.
In addition to the usual collection of common US rigs, this junkyard is home to a few classics we rarely see today. For instance, you'll see a Saab Sonett III, a sports car built in just 8,368 units from 1970 to 1974. Thanks to its fiberglass body, it's one of the better-looking cars in the yard. Speaking of Saabs, I also spotted a 96.
But by far the most interesting classic abandoned here is the Sunbeam Alpine that shows up at the 7:40-minute mark. I can't determine which model it is (they built Series I to V versions from 1959 to 1968), but it's in pretty rough shape. Both the chassis and the body are mangled, so it's basically beyond salvageable. And that's a shame because the Alpine is a cool piece of British sports car history.
Speaking of cool but hopeless, someone abandoned a VW Type 2 Camper in this yard. The van still rocks all of its camper-specific furnishings, but restoring this German hauler will take a fortune. And since we're talking about people movers, the property is also home to a few 1950s GMC buses and even what appears to be a Routemaster double-decker.
If you're not into big rigs, be on the lookout for a 1956 Plymouth Savoy, a 1967 Pontiac GTO Convertible, and a small collection of 1950s Ponchos, including Star Chief and Chieftain models.
Unfortunately, many of these classics are damaged almost beyond recognition. Covered in moss and falling apart due to severe rust, these once-beautiful automobiles couldn't even pass as parts cars. And they're not going anywhere anytime soon, so we can't do much beyond enjoying a graveyard walkaround.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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