Car collectors around the world have a pretty bad rep these days, as everyone assumes they buy ridiculously expensive and rare cars only to keep them locked away in a shed and never drive them. Seems that rep is well earned, at least in the case of this car collection that’s been unearthed by a group of urban explorers, who went for a look around a stash of rusting European classics from the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and Jaguar.
The haul in question was uncovered by AdamC and his buddies and it’s quite the trip down memory lane. In Adam’s latest video, he explores a collection of barns in the English countryside that house all kinds of European automotive icons that are simply sitting rusting away.
The film, available to watch below, shows the group working its way through the undergrowth to find their way inside the collection, which they reveal is owned by an acquaintance who gave them permission to go snooping on their land.
The first site of the car collection they spot is an old Peugeot parked up in the woods, with nature slowly retaking the sorry-looking car. As they delve deeper, a Jaguar appears among the trees, followed by another Peugeot, an old Saab and even a boat.
Once inside the first barn that houses the collection, things somehow begin looking in even worse condition than the cars outside. There are two sorry looking MGBs, an excellent blue Porsche 924 and an ancient Jag.
In total, the collection is housed among three barns on the property, with no real cohesion or order appearing to dictate what’s in each barn. There are, however, some delights to be unearthed while Adam and company explore.
Almost every car they inspect has something growing on or inside it, and many have holes in the roof, floor or any other surface where the weather has begun creeping in and wreaking havoc. The decay does reveal some of the history behind the cars in collection, with flaking paint on an old Bedford van showing that it’s been painted red, blue, cream, black and green over its lifetime. Fascinating stuff.
Later on in the film, a burned out Ferrari 308 is unearthed, with very little remaining of the car except its shell. There is also an excellent red Aston Martin DBS tucked away under a sheet and the owner added two old Cadillacs to the collection to balance out all the ageing European icons making it up.
The exploration of the haul is a fun way to pass your lunch break, and might make you feel a little better about the state of your current project car. But, if you had to save one car from the video and bring it back to life, which would you choose? Personally, while I love the DBS and the Jag XJSs, I think I’d like to give the Fiat Coupe a new lease of life. Fix it up, paint it bright yellow and let it live out its days as a happy little runaround.
If this whet your appetite for a bit of urban exploration today, why not check out this film exploring an abandoned international airport in Greece, or check out this paddle through a ship graveyard in New York.