Unicorn Cars Found in American Junkyards Revealed
The 1942 Cadillac ambulance is a great example of a rare vehicle with little value. Professional cars, like this one, often don’t attract collectors. This is because master craftsmen at S&S coachbuilding company built them by hand.
The 1959 Cadillac would be a whole new story. People would have restored it to make another Ghostbusters replica.
Rare Classic Cars That Nobody Wants: Forgotten Vintage Vehicles Found in Junkyards
Merkur Xr4ti
Ford’s Edsel is the most famous car failure, but the blue oval brand saw even bigger losses with its Merkur line. During the three years that Edsels were sold (1958-1960), some 118,000 of them found buyers.
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The US market saw only 48,000 units of Merkur German-built Fords sold during the four years from 1985 to 1989. The XR4Ti model, with slight changes from the Ford Sierra XR4i, became a top seller. It shipped a total of 26,000 units to North America.
Lincoln Premier – 1960
Only 4200 individuals chose to pay the $5,945 price required to sale a 1960 Lincoln Premier four-door saloon hardtop. Of course they’re considerably rarer today, and this is the first example that we’ve uncovered in a salvage yard.
The current situation prevents this object from finding any kind of redemption. Someone abandoned the object in the forest thirty years ago. It now suffers from total damage caused by tin-worm infestation.
Yugo – 1988
People in Serbia might think we've lost our minds for including a Yugo in our current listing. You can still find the Yugo in some parts of Europe, but it’s much less common in the United States.
The United States market saw sales of 140,000 Zastava Motors vehicles from 1985 to 1992. The products became popular for their low price. However, they had poor construction and unreliable performance. This led to shame for users, and by the mid-1990s, most vehicles were destroyed.
Pontiac Catalina – 1966
Manufacturers made only 15,000 1966 Pontiac Catalina convertibles. Since good ones sell for over ten thousand dollars, it's rare to find one in a junkyard.
The vehicle now exists in such a damaged state that it needs to stay abandoned at Old Car City, located in White, Georgia.
Cadillac Hearse – 1954
In 1954, Cadillac provided only 1,611 commercial chassis to US bodybuilders. These were converted into limousines, ambulances, hearses, and flower cars.
The S&S-built hearse which L&L Classic Auto, based in Idaho, offers for sale, costs $5,500 despite its extremely rare status. What other hand-built classic, of which only a few examples exist, can you buy for this sort of money?
Packard Clipper – 1955
The Valley Auto Wrecking facility in Thatcher, Arizona, had limited resources but kept high standards. This was clear from our visit there three years ago.
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The 1955 Packard Clipper stood out as the most distinctive inhabitant of the area. In 1955, Packard sold only 55,247 cars. This made it the 14th most popular domestic brand. Out of those, 8,309 were Clippers.
Crosley – 1948
Crosley started building microcars in 1939 and stopped manufacturing them in 1952 at its Cincinnati Ohio base. The company made 84,000 cars. These cars drew in budget-conscious drivers.
Their small size helped save on fuel. The station wagon at Jim's Vintage Automotive in Mountain Home, Idaho, dates back to 1948. The product had a good survival rate thanks to its unique design, even though producers made only small amounts.
The process of locating an item in a salvage yard will need you to spend an extended period of time searching.
Cadillac Limousine – 1986
The value of a car does not depend on its rarity, as this case demonstrates. If you don't like 1986 six-door Cadillac limousines, that's fine. Someone will still buy this rust-free car from CTC Auto Ranch in Texas. The price is $2,495. The coachbuilder is Armbruster Stageway of Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Studebaker President – 1958
We'd be surprised if anyone saved this 1958 Studebaker President from the South Dakota junkyard. We found it during the recent cleanup. The yard has around 5,000 Presidents sold that year.
However, there’s only a slim chance anyone will come by to look for parts for such a rare vehicle. The thing exists because of its sad state, which makes its value higher when it no longer functions.
Desoto Adventurer – 1960
The 1960 DeSoto Adventurer sold 11,597 units. However, only 3,092 of these cars had two-door hardtops. We bet the number of survivors is in the low double digits. This makes this car one of the rarer ones we've photographed.
