A LEGENDARY junkyard that holds around 1,500 classic cars in various states of disrepair is considered petrolhead paradise.
Known as one of the largest car graveyards in America, French Lake Auto Parts is the perfect place for enthusiasts looking to find car parts for a restoration project – or to simply gawk at whatever they can find.
Also called Junktown USA, the 88-acre pasture, located near Annandale, Minnesota, US, features every kind of car you can think of – including rare, vintage models.
The huge lot, which was founded in 1956, has a certain method to the madness, with the cars organised into sections.
According to Autocar, there’s even a section of the junkyard that’s dedicated to modern cars, where rare European and Japanese imports can be found.
However, most car fanatics come here hoping to find something they’re more familiar with, including cars from Cadillac, Dodge and Pontiac.
A recent search through the haul yielded an eclectic selection of curious motors, including a Plymouth Special Deluxe and Packard pickup from the 1940s, through to a Buick Skylark from 1976 and even a little-known Fiat Brava.
There’s even some kind of Dodge tractor from the 1920s.
Supercar Blonde claims the owners of the yard know exactly what cars they hold.
Randy Reinert, whose family started the place, said: “We can look it up and then there is a handful of us that can probably tell you within a car or two where it’s sitting.”
It’s thought that thousands of people make the trip to the yard each year.
Tabitha Reinert added: “It’s nostalgia. It takes everybody back to their childhood. Cars are kind of a foothold in your memory. It’ll take you back to, for me, it was Saturdays with my grandpa.”
This comes as another famous US-based junkyard recently flogged its collection of worse-for-wear motors – including an ultra-rare Mercedes Gullwing.
The famous Rudi Klein collection, which includes retro Porsches, and dilapidated Lamborghinis, finally went under the hammer on October 26.
Famed auction house RM Sotheby’s ran the sale, known as The Junkyard, which topped an unbelievable $29.6million – roughly £23million.
The old yard was packed with vintage cars, many of them classic Porsches, including 356s and 911s in various states of disrepair, as well as dozens of the German brand’s iconic air-cooled engines and other parts.
There was a pair of Ferrari 330 GTCs, a 275 GTS, and a handful of Lamborghini Miura P400s.
Several rare Mercedes-Benz machines were also under the hammer, including a largely complete 1957 300 SL Roadster.
