FORD SUPER DELUXE – 1948
At first glance it looks as though this 1948 Ford Super Deluxe was carrying a canoe on its roof, but it was of course the bonnet, which had been removed when the car lost its engine. Note the German model in this picture, one of several Mercedes that we were surprised to find at All American Classics.
CHEVROLET NOVA – 1973
There is increasing environmental pressure on traditional salvage yards to shut up shop, but as you can see here, Mother Nature seems to have been thriving around this 1973 Chevrolet Nova Custom. Fauna also likes to call junk cars home. Although we didn’t spot any animals at All American Classics, over the years we’ve encountered everything from rabbits and rattlers to scorpions and skunks on our tin-hunting travels.
CHEVROLET 210 TOWNSMAN – 1956
If we ignore the driver’s door, which appears to have been borrowed from a Bel Air, then this is clearly a 1956 Chevrolet 210 Townsman station wagon. The mid-range car, which was positioned between the entry-level 150 and the top-trim Bel Air, proved to be the best-seller, and found 84,239 buyers. Considering that it had been in the yard for close to 20 years, we were surprised it hadn’t been picked over more extensively.
CADILLAC ELDORADO – 1972
The Eldorado name survived for 50 years (1952 to 2002), and spanned 12 generations. They were consistently the second most expensive car in Cadillac’s range, beaten only by the Series 75 limousine. However, high prices didn’t put people off, and in 1972 sales exceeded 40,000 units. Of those, fewer than 8000 were convertibles, making this an unusual sight.
CADILLAC DE VILLE – 1965
Here’s another luxury car that’s fallen from grace. It’s one of 19,200 Cadillac DeVille convertibles built in 1965. Judging by the state of those seats, it must have been missing its top for a number of years. On our visit this was parked outside the front of the yard, and was being offered as a project car. In 1965 Cadillac exceeded 180,000 sales for the first time. It was doing well, and by the end of the decade was producing well in excess of 200,000 cars per annum.
