Chevrolet Truck Tree 1940s
Salvage yards are closing at a phenomenal rate, so to discover that A-1 Auto Salvage is no longer in business came as little surprise to us. While on this occasion the owner wanted to use the land for a different purpose, other common reasons for closures include the high price of scrap metal, encroaching urban sprawl (and new neighbours who don’t like the idea of living next to a junkyard), and increasing environmental pressure.
On the subject of the latter, during our visits to salvage yards, we have found the flora and fauna to flourish around junk cars. Just check out this tree, which has grown through a Chevy truck’s rotten floor, wrapped itself around the steering wheel, and pushed open the windshield. These trucks were built between 1941 and 1946.
Lincoln Continental 1964
Fourth generation Lincoln Continentals were equipped with “door ajar” warning lights, a necessary safety precaution to reduce the risk of rear passengers being sucked out of the reversed-doors. This one, complete with its convex electric shaver front grille, is one of 36,000 to find a buyer in 1964.
Kaiser Special 1951
The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was formed in 1945, as a joint venture between the Henry J Kaiser Company and Graham-Paige Motors. While sales were initially strong, it didn’t have the resources to take on the Big Three. The last Frazer was built in 1951, while Kaiser-branded cars survived for a further four years.
Considering the relatively short production run, it’s definitely unusual to find one in a salvage yard. In fact A-1 Auto Salvage had no less than three of them. This one appears to be a 1951 Special, built in 1951, Kaiser’s most successful year ever.
Cadillac CoupeDeVille 1961
Cadillac designed some incredibly flamboyant tailfins in the late 1950s, culminating in the rocket-inspired creations that adorned the 1959 cars. From 1960 onwards they began to shrink, becoming somewhat more subtle, and dare we say tasteful?