Update – MD sent over more photos of this collection for us! Find them below!
Reader MD recently told me about a massive and impressive collection of classic cars. He promised to send me photos, but he decided to get the A.O.K. from the owner before sharing the photos with us. He sent just a small handful of the photos he has taken of this collection, so one can only imagine what else must be hidden indoors! The owner has been collecting these cars for most of their life and is justifiably protective of their property, so please don’t ask where it’s located. Thanks MD for sharing!
From MD – Hello Guys. Here is one for the books. It just shows all of us that we never know what could still be hiding in barns, garages or back yards. This collection was started by a 15 year old who started saving every penny he made working after school to search for old cars which he bought and stored away over the years.
While his friends were blowing their money on silly things, he bought old cars as a young man so the cars were and still are today, his passion in life. There are old gas pumps, original dealer promo model cars, old signs, old licence plates from every country, steam engines, even a jet engine, you name it, around the cars which are almost as interesting as the cars. The weird thing is how some of the cars are now sealed up in the building. You would have to remove walls to get them out now.
There are video cameras everywhere, a barbed wire electric fence, booby traps all over the place and two Pit Bull dogs walking around free in the building at night so I pity anyone who would like to try and enter this place at night. I’m not kidding about any of this, it’s not a place open to visit so the photos will have to do. This guy means business when it comes to protecting his stuff.
Just for a better idea of what kind of finds are hidden here, here is a better look at one of them! This is an ultra rare classic. A 1938 Cadillac V16 7/8 passenger sedan. The V16 Cadillacs, built from 1930 to 1940 were for the super rich. During the time when a Ford or Chevy cost around $500 and a nice Buick or Chrysler cost around $1,200, the V16 Cadillacs could cost over $10,000 depending on coachwork.
Total V16 production for this 1938 model was 311 cars, another 136 were built for 1939 and only 61 were built for it’s final year in 1940. Here we see a very complete example, not for sale, what else is new?All original right down to the radio with the tube speaker for the passengers to speak to the driver and the V16 hubcaps, sitting in a backyard under some kind of heavy duty vinyl cover which seems to do a good job in keeping the car dry.
In fact, the only rust out on the car is in the rear valance panel under the trunk. The floors and frame are solid as a rock. The car is on a big concrete slab, which I guess also helps and it’s up a little on blocks to keep air flowing under the car.
Since most of these super impressive V16 Cadillacs are long gone or have since been restored with some convertible examples selling for over a million dollars today, it’s very likely this could be the only example left unrestored just sitting in a backyard under a cover like it’s just an old junker. No big deal right? Hey, everyone has a V16 Caddy in their backyard right? Look at the original box full of new oil cans from the 1950. The CA plates expired in 1956.
Note, you can see a 1937 Oldsmobile parked right behind the Cadillac, with a Hudson and a Chrysler Airflow behind the Olds. There is a building out back with a Packard, a Pierce-Arrow, a Franklin, a Studebaker, a LaSalle, an Overland and many others cars dating before the 1940s. There is more to this story and to this yard. Enjoy!
I hope you all enjoyed seeing this collection and that it makes your Holidays that much better! Merry Christmas guys!
Thanks for sharing this mysterious collection of classics….I am a bit saddened by the improper outdoor storage though. No good ever comes to cars left under covers for extended amounts of time. That Cadillac and all the others should have been kept in dry indoor storage years ago….
Yes, that’s sad. Seems odd that he is so protective of them but yet doesn’t take care of them.
…I whole heartedly agree.
Absolutely right. This “collector”, whoever he is, is not very concerned about his collection or else he would have taken far better measures to protect and preserve it.
A collection like this would make me crazy. I’d get mental trying to figure out how to re-awaken them all, not to mention losing sleep trying to figure out how to pay for the parts.
I think I’d like to try that much crazy……. Very envious.
It’s not a collection, it’s a hoard
At least this isn’t one of those situations where almost everything is in the elements. He has put some of the nicer cars in a semi protected environment, which is better than some of the hoards we’ve seen. The V-16 is a sad one though.
I can appreciate the heart of a collector, “but” I can’t understand when they let their beloved collections sit and decay, where’s the love then? It then becomes a matter not of “the collection,” but of “these are mine and not yours and I’ll be damned if your going to get your hands on them.” I agree he has the right to his property, but I disrespect his opinion of it.
…You’re right John… IMO, this collector has a screw lose. I would have donated some of those to collections capable of using them. Those cars don’t deserve this.
I believe I’ve driven by this collection. If it’s the same one, it’s been moved several times in the past few years between two locations, perhaps 50-60 miles apart. Again, if it’s the same one, there’s a lot of newer (postwar) stuff that isn’t shown here, including a cream 1952 Nash convertible and a full dress 1959 Adventurer hardtop, among many others. It’s my understanding nothing was for sale.
The cars that this hoarder has is impressive, but the fact that he’s a hoarder and has “booby trapped” his property is scary. I can understand protecting what you’ve got, but when you’ve come to the point where you’re laying out traps for people, it’s time re-evaluate some things. My fear is not for the unsuspecting burgler/thief but instead for whom ever has to come and part this collection out after this nutcase has passed on.
How old is the owner?, I’m wondering if it’s a retirement plan. Sell/ auction the lot, and he’d have a few bucks. Or, they’ll stay where they are , and no-one will see them again,which would suck.
So sad…glad they exist but store them minimally correctly please!
Never understood the “I will let them rot before I sell them” type of hoarder which seems to be what we have here. Sad..,very sad indeed. Too bad some of the effort put into guard dogs , barbed wire and security cameras didn’t get focused on proper storage
Well said. The dude’s a hoarder not a collector. It’s a shame to watch good cars go to waste, but here we are.
The owner Is probably old and will not be around forever. Then all of this will be up for grabs. Hopefully the out door cars will out last him in a restorable state.
Some beautifully designed and constructed vehicles here. It would be fascinating to stroll through the grounds and spend time looking.
As for restoring them, deep pockets required.
Calling Mr. Leno!
Shame, more worried about people checking out the cars than protecting and or letting same said folks do something with them.
Folks I have met in this hobby would never steal parts or desicrate a collection. Screw loose…. yea.
As for ‘Jay’s’ , it is a shame that they are the only ones involved in the hobby anymore. When I started you did it for love, not for profit. Tired of hearing the same old diatribe. Go work at Wall Street, stay out of my hobby!
John says he thinks this guy has a screw lose? I don’t know about that. If he really started collecting cars like this when he was still in school, he sounds like a pretty smart businessman to me. I don’t think any of us were thinking about investing in classic cars when we were that age. I also don’t see signs of him letting all his cars rust away from the photos. It looks like the cars inside are in excellent condition and the ones outside look covered at least so he must be trying to keep up with them. Maybe he became overloaded over time with his cars and ran out of indoor storage. One thing is for sure, this guy is sitting on some big buck cars. Is that a 32 DeSoto Roadster? Geez. I heard there were only 7 of those left in the world and check out that Pierce-Arrow in the tent. Wow. That big touring car under cover looks like an early teens Oldsmobile. It looks alot like that 1911 Oldsmobile touring car that sold at Hershey a few years back in unrestored condition for a million dollars. Look at the Indy 500 Pace Car Dodge! This collection does look like one for the books from what Mr MD said.
Nessy, the Indy 500 Pace Car Dodge was offered for sale last September (and I’d guess still is on offer, or at least the owner is probably still willing to consider it).
http://forums.aaca.org/topic/262347-1954-dodge-royal-500-indy-pace-car-convertible/#entry1406479
$40K. Given the history and good condition, and that it’s a convertible, I have to say I don’t consider that a crazy price. If I were a Dodge guy or an Indy 500 guy and had the shekels to spare, I’d be making a serious inquiry.
(To anyone considering making an offer for one of these beauties, obviously the owner can be contacted by PM on the AACA forums, or by replying to the post I just linked to.)
The mice are probably quite happy.
The Desoto in the pictures has been on and off eBay as well as discussed to death here:
http://forums.aaca.org/topic/198737-how-rare-is-a-32-desoto-roadster-what-is-it-really-worth-my-barn-find-it-sat-over-50-year
That Caddy convertible does it for me…
Amazing car. Love the chrome accents on the fenders…Timeless…
That Caddy convertible does it for me…
Amazing car. Love the chrome accents on fenders.
Timeless…
My kinda guy !
I’m not so sure if everyone noticed the LaSalle series 50
I like people with “screw lose”. All on this site are nuts, isn’t it? Normal people are boring…..
Hey..they haven’t been lost to the crusher… Possibly stored in a dry desert climate where the tarps are more for keeping the sun out than for keeping weather out. Regardless, the man has quite a retirement account here, and I’m quite sure he’ll make more money if he decides to sell than he would have made in a 401K…..
BF Heaven, PULEEZE let us know if the owner intends to start sellin!
I’m a part of the AACA forum where that Desoto was discussed to death. These cars are in the Northeast and even being rare, That Desoto is in horrible shape. Yes it should be saved but has rot on top of the rot and underneath the rot. The thing with the Northeast is creeping rot that can’t be seen. I believe that Desoto got bid to around the 20 G mark on ebay more than once and it’s a no sale. It’s barely covered by a tarp some of the time and even looks like one had rotted away at one point. I think the seller is going to have a tough time parting with anything as he seems to have dreams of what they are worth. One’s I’m afraid will probably not come true, unless he gets that auction company in, that auctioned off the French estate of rust for absolutely crazy prices. Hopefully if so, Soon before there is nothing left.
The 1939 Cadillac convertible is absolutely beautiful.
pickin nits the Calif (yellow) 1956 plate expired with the ’62 tag just sayin
here is a good example on eBay
yellow plate
I am the one who took the photos. This guy is not a hoarder of cars. He did it only out of love and passion for old cars. His building is large but not large enough for everything so some cars had to stay outside, for now. He is getting ready to start on another storage building not far from this one so he expects the rest of the cars will be inside by next year. The cars that are outside are covered in this heavy duty gray vinyl wrapping as you can see from the V16 Caddy photo. This stuff is water tight. There are small wedges under these covers to allow air to flow through. The outdoor cars are also up off the ground for more airflow. He is a busy man with a business to run so he does what he can to preserve the cars in his limited spare time. The outdoor cars under cover stay coated with cosmoline oil which really does wonders for long term storage. Most cars are started several times a year to keep them going and the ones that do not run have that gold old fashioned Marvel Mystery Oil dumped down the cylinders and are turned over by hand once in a while to keep the engines from locking up. No car left outside is exposed to the weather. Tires that can still hold air are kept up with blocks under them so nothing is sunk in the ground. As for the guys thinking he must be old, he is not. This guy is younger than most of us, only 40ish and more than strong enough to keep up with the yard, so this place is not about to be auctioned off. He is involved in many car clubs and does what he can to get our youth interested in the hobby. He does allow people whom he trusts to walk around the place and even offers coffee and snacks to bring along the tour. He is one of the kindest car guys around. He had been known to give a few cars away to kids who love the hobby as we do which is a great way to pass the passion down to the next generation. It’s not about being greedy or hoarding with this man. He was born with the old car passion and did something most of us never thought about doing when we were his age. This guy started saving every penny he had in his teen years to buy old cars and built up a collection by his 30s that can compete with many top collections around the globe. The photos I sent in are just a hair of what he has. There are several one off prototype cars that never went into production as well as a several brand new cars from the 70s and 80s still with the new car window stickers that have little to no miles on them. I saw an early Datsun Z car with 21 miles on it, inside under soft blankets! He loves his cars, all of them. He also has several old cars that were used in well known movies. His sons are young but they already understand what their future mission will be which is to continue upholding the collection. Some of these cars were bought out from a friend in his 90s who started stashing cars away during WW2 to keep them from being scrapped. This is a case of saving the cars for the future generations to someday enjoy, it’s not about hoarding cars. Sometimes, he does sell off cars on Ebay to not only make extra space but to give others a chance to enjoy and restore them. Try and understand guys, it’s not easy to take care of a collection like this. He does what he can so lets give him a round of thanks, not a round of bad feedback. He put his world into doing this. I will add a few extra photos here for us to enjoy.
That is outstanding ! Nothing but applause for someone living their passion !
Well, I’m glad you have shed some light on this man and his thinking. He must really be of sound mind after all!
Let’s all hope that when he gets his new building completed he may open up the collection to the public. What a day that would be!
I will try and load a few more photos here.
I posted a few more photos. Let’s see if they come up.
I hope these come up. This room is now walled up. You can see a 1919 Franklin touring next to a rare 38 Buick coupe, a 928 Porsche with a Callaway Twin Turbo V8, and a special custom body 23 Studebaker Towncar with 4000 miles.
I call BULL$HIT on a portion of this story!
After hearing just a bit of the story, I’m even more envious than I was at the beginning of this posting. He is living my dream as well, the only difference being that I’d be independently wealthy, and therefore able to commit more of my time to the collection.
Say Gotts, just where did you see “Bull$hit” as you called it with this story? I didn’t see any and with MD’s update, this looks like a true car guy who did more than his share to preserve the old car hobby. If only we could all do this, the kids would stay interested and excited about cars and collecting them.
That one photo of an old blue sports car with the tires off, it that a Jowett Jupiter? Never saw one in person. Only saw photos after I read up on it. I wonder how many of those are in the US? Can’t be more than a handful, if that many. Oh, what on Earth is that bright orange wild exotic looking car inside between the 38 Buick and that old Franklin?
“Paranoia” among this type of collector isn’t unusual. I once had to wear a blindfold to see a WWII German Horch staff car that was being restored – the owner was that worried that someone would steal his car.
Well, I don’t think it’s “Paranoia” as you just stated. I think if most of us had this amount of classic cars, we would not want unknown people to start knocking on our doors day and night which is just what could happen in a case like this. I’m sure this collector must have put up with this before which may explain the electric fence and the Pit Bull dogs guarding the building. That is not paranoia, it’s called being smart. I would do the same thing.
Thank you for allowing us to dream (and drool!) over this collection. I do hope that the V16 Cadillac becomes the first vehicle to move indoors, as well as be first on the list to have new life breathed into her. Hopefully he doesn’t plan to OVER-restore the collection [especially the V16], as these old cars deserve to be loved & driven, not relegated to being trailer queens/museum pieces
Did I miss something? Where is this collection located?
You may have missed the part where they said please do not ask the location. From what they said about cameras and dogs guarding the place, I guess the yard is not open to the public. I still want to know what that wild orange car is in the last photo.
I appreciate the words and attitude of “MD” here. Some of the other commentators here are narrow-minded and/or greedy, IMO.
The owner did the world a favor by saving them—period!
I’d love the opportunity to get the tour. Sounds like a great place to spend an afternoon.
Hello! This collector could have been my younger brother, by age, not by quality and quantity of cars. I started at the age of around 18 buying my first car and today I still add very selected economic vehicles and archival paper/docs to my collection. I’m in the mid- 50’s. I’m located in India. We are now permitted to import pre 1950 Automobiles and quite a few have come into the country. I was a bit ahead in the game, don’t need to import as I have enough stock.
Fortunately, and finally family helped to buy a place and the first shed is already up. It will be a continuous job to gather all at one place. Simultaneously restore as well. Many comments above about hoarding, etc I have heard before and developed a thick skin. Received lots of advice as well. The hobby is great, each to his own, we believe that we know what we are doing, even if all is not perfect. Cheers to the hobby.