If you are a classic car lover or collector, you’ve probably heard of barn finds. Well, this is something rather unusual, a forest find of sorts. Jonny Smith and his brother Greg of The Late Brake Show discovered a forest full of dead classic cars in Norfolk, England. In between the trees and overgrowth was an abandoned Series 1 jaguar E-Type.
Getting a forest full of cars is not something you stumble upon every day unless, of course, you are talking about Chernobyl. Smith got wind of a forest filled with cars in Norfolk and decided to go exploring.
He got a tip-off from a fan of two separate locations with classic cars rotting away. The first had a public road running into a derelict back garden inside an abandoned engineering business.
A few meters into the property, they stumble upon what looks like a collapsed garage with several cars inside. While trying to get to checkout the cars, Greg stumbles upon a Twin SU carburetor poking through the undergrowth covered in moss. It’s very distinctive with torpedo-shaped air cleaners and was still complete with the dynamo and fan attached.
After a bit of speculation, they discover it’s a complete car engulfed by a thicket complete with door trim panels and wheels halfway into the ground. A red leatherette steering ring is still hanging in what must have been the cabin.
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/Late Brake Show
They also spot a Riley RMB. The Riley RM series was a fleet of executive cars produced between 1945 and 1955 by Riley. The RMB was a longer car later replaced by the RMF. The RMB and RMF used a 2.5-liter engine making 16 hp based on RAC rating.
Further inside, Greg spots a red Jaguar E-Type with a rotten shell. They are not able to point out the exact model but conclude it’s a Series 1. The Jaguar E-Type Series 1 is an iconic build from the 60s. Its production ran between 1961 and 1968. It came with a Jaguar XK6 engine. This is a triple SU carbureted 3.8-liter, 6-cylinder engine making 265 hp with a top speed of 150 mph.
Strolling further into the forest, they come across more rotting cars, with an Austin Westminster sticking out of the pile. The Austin Westminster was a popular car with sedan and estate models that replaced the A70 Hereford and sold between 1954 and 1968 by Austin.
They also check out the second location in Norfolk that closed in the 80s, which supposedly had thousands of cars, some of which are pre-war models. According to Smith, there are about 50 left but in a near decomposition state.
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/Late Brake Show
The second location is more of a junkyard with older types of vehicles. Many vehicles are sunken, some have trees growing inside them, and others only have roofs.
The first car they spot in this location is a Ford Popular, also known as the Ford Pop, produced by Ford UK between 1953 and 1962. It debuted as UK’s cheapest car. Ford’s Y-Type model also used the Popular name in the 1930s, and later for the Escort and Fiesta.
Perhaps the most fascinating thing the spot is a tree growing through a blue Morris Minor. It is thriving and gutting through the car's roof almost like a ring. The Morris Minor was a prevalent British economy car produced between 1948 and 1971. The company made more than 1.6 million sales of the unit before it stopped production.
This property was once a pig farm and a scrapyard. The owners bred and slaughtered the pigs at this location, and at one time, a tragic accident occurred. A young man got electrocuted using a machine. It’s not clear if the accident was the reason behind the abandonment, but Smith believes it was the beginning of the end.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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