Beautiful Cars That Were Shockingly Left to Rot
Cars don’t exactly come cheap, and when one has outlived its use, you’re still better off selling it to at least get some money back. But for whatever reason, the cars featured here were left alone and abandoned, silent relics with stories we may never know.
Chevrolet Impala
The Impala nameplate has been around since the 50s and was one of Chevrolet’s best-selling vehicles in the US. Finding an early model in such good condition isn’t easy - unless you’re an urban explorer with a lot of free time on your hands, that is.
Buick Regal
In some cases, it’s anyone’s guess as to why some cars are abandoned. In this instance, it wasn’t just one car, but several, and a full house to boot. Of all the vehicles left behind here, this Buick Regal stands out for just how pristine it still looks.
Volvo Spaceball P2 V70R
Unlike people who can pretty much go anywhere, hike any trail, and climb anything, cars are pretty much limited to the roads, with a few exceptions here and there. It’s always fascinating, then, when you find one in the middle of the woods, far from any road - fascinating and terrifying.
BMW E36 3 Series
BMW is one of the most prestigious car manufacturers in the world, a name synonymous with quality craftsmanship. Naturally, they don’t come cheap, but that hasn’t stopped the former owner of this BMW E36 3 series from abandoning it in some dingy garage.
Mercedes-Benz SL550
Like BMW, the Mercedes-Benz name comes with a large pedigree. They’re synonymous with supreme luxury and refined engineering - most people can only dream of one day owning a pristine Mercedes-Benz. It’s anyone’s guess, then, as to why this one was left behind (alongside the previously mentioned BMW).
C. ‘97 Cadillac DeVille
The car you see here may look like a Rolls Royce, but it’s really just a Cadillac DeVille with a bit of bodywork. This one was found at an abandoned funeral home, in almost perfect condition, as though everyone working there had left in the middle of the workday and never returned.
Batmobile
No, you didn’t read that wrong. Someone left behind a Batmobile replica in the middle of the woods. While the wheels are missing and the glasswork is gone, the body is in remarkably good condition. With a little bit of restorative magic, you could have it patrolling the streets of Gotham again in no time.
‘65 Cadillac
Try as we may, we’re never going to go back to the good old days. This ‘65 Cadillac is a symbol of that bygone age, preserved fairly well given the circumstances, but the property it was found on is a sad reminder that many rural communities eventually dry up, displacing families in the process.
Trabant 601
Trabant may not be a familiar name to many US citizens, but the 601 was the most popular vehicle in Germany at one point. These small cars have a ton of personality, which makes it a crying shame to see one abandoned here at this decrepit mechanic’s garage.
Lamborghini Kit Car
With their distinctive shapes and blazing speeds, Lamborghini’s can be recognized from a mile away. While this one may have been a replica, it still features all the hallmarks of a classic Lamborghini and is just waiting to be restored.
Buick Electra
When a garage is abandoned, you can expect a great deal of debris and rubble which will typically damage any of the garage’s current occupants. That isn’t exactly the case with this Buick Electra, however, which still looks functional despite all the junk surrounding it.
C. 1980 Chevrolet Camaro
The Camaro is perhaps Chevrolet’s most famous nameplate and is a highly sought-after prize for many collectors. You can imagine how proud this one’s previous owner must have been to have this 80s Camaro, but they clearly weren’t proud enough to return for it.
C. 1970 Cadillac
When you’re out exploring abandoned buildings and properties, you usually won’t find anything of significant value - unless you’re the fella who found this sweet 70s Cadillac. The roof that collapsed on top of it looks to be mostly made of old, dried wood and couldn’t have done too much damage on its own.
VW New Beetle
While abandoned houses and shacks are a fairly common sight in many rural areas, it’s not often that you come across an abandoned mansion, let alone a bona fide castle like this one. There looks to be a VW New Beetle in the garage in good condition; coupled with the generally well-maintained objects and furniture throughout the rest of the mansion, we can only assume that there’s a really compelling story here.
Plymouth Horizon
Compact cars like the Plymouth Horizon are never going to be symbols of luxury, but they’re important, treasured vehicles for many working-class people all over the world. This one was left behind outside of a trailer park, still in good condition, just waiting to find renewed life.
C. 1980 Jaguar XJS
If you leave something alone in one spot for too long, chances are it’s either going to be stolen or vandalized. This 80s Jaguar XJS doesn’t look like it’s in bad shape apart from the graffiti covering its body, which nevertheless gives it a certain charm.
1970 Buick Centurion
It’s remarkable that some of these cars - and the abandoned properties they occupy - have remained untouched for so long. This 70s Buick Centurion still has a striking shade of crimson, a bright spot of color in an otherwise dark field overlooked by a brooding, lurching old mansion. On second thought, it makes perfect sense as to why these things are never reclaimed.
1971 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
The Stingray is a dream car for many. The one featured here was apparently a gift for a young soldier from his parents. Sadly, he lost his life before he could ever take it for a spin. Now, it - and the empty house behind it - stand as a haunting monument to the needless loss caused by war.
Opel Kadett
The humble Opel Kadett was never the fanciest car, but it was a supremely economical one enjoyed by many throughout Europe and beyond. This one was found abandoned at the top of a hill somewhere in Italy. Its body and paint job are in remarkably good condition, but that doesn’t stop our minds from wandering to the grim and grisly possibilities and scenarios that preceded its abandonment.
‘68 Ford Torino
Very occasionally, one of these intrepid, daring explorers will actually return with something for their efforts. This ‘68 Torino was found abandoned in remarkably good condition and has now been given new life thanks to a fresh coat of paint and a refurbished interior.
C. 1930 Packard
The Packard name was retired in 1958, but we can assume that this 30s model was abandoned sometime before that, perhaps as some grim premonition of the company’s future.
Aston Martin DB9
The Aston Martin name commands respect not just from car enthusiasts but from everyone who can appreciate luxury when they see it. This DB9 has gathered plenty of dust in this old parking garage, but it’s retained its constitution remarkably well and is just waiting to be restored to working condition.
C. 1980 Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce
Alfa Romeo is known for producing some of the most stylish cars in the world. While they demand much from their drivers (and, even then, aren’t particularly fast), they exude such a striking aura that heads will no doubt be turned when one of these passes. This Sprint Veloce from the 80s is in fantastic condition but has suffered some flood damage.
Rolls Royce Silver Spur
Cars don’t “die” in the traditional sense, but once their engines give out and their owners move on, they still require a resting place - like, say, a car graveyard? This graveyard in Shanghai features not just one Rolls Royce Silver Spur but two, both in great condition, alongside some other choice finds as well.
1954 Plymouth Belvedere
This ‘54 Belvedere has, admittedly, seen much better days and probably isn’t even worth the towing fees you’d have to pay in order to scrap it. However, the bullet holes and the location it was found are what make it so interesting - you can only wonder what nastiness preceded its abandonment and whether its owner found their way through the desert.
Ford Mustang
Like the Chevrolet Camaro, the Ford Mustang is one of the original muscle cars, a nameplate with a significant amount of weight to it. Plenty of people would be happy to get their hands on one of these, even one as decrepit as this.
Assorted Cars
Car graveyards are an unspoken institution, but their inhabitants are typically old, decrepit, or damaged beyond repair, unlike this lot in New Jersey, which features some very new, very well-maintained vehicles. Either someone owns the lot and is collecting them, or this is a mob dumping ground.
C. 1950 Chevrolet
You’ll come across abandoned cars in the most unlikely of places, like this spot in the Pawnee Grasslands, where an old Chevy slowly sinks into the shallows. Considering the surrounding area, it still looks like it just came off the shop floor.
Mercedes-Benz SLK230
Most of the cars on this list were found off the beaten path, in the dark corners of the earth, unlike this SLK230, which was found in a parking lot in California. It was left there for more than a year before it was finally towed, and its owner was either killed or sent to prison, all of which just goes to show how easy it is to overlook those things that our minds would rather not consider.
Skoda Fabia
Skoda Auto aren’t exactly the biggest name in the US, but they’re pretty popular in Europe where they’re manufactured. This Fabia is still in good condition, but we wonder whether it was actually abandoned there or stolen and stashed.
Aston Martin Lagonda
The Lagonda is something of a legend in the motoring world, albeit an infamous one. While it was dismissed and disdained in its time, we can imagine that niche car enthusiasts would pay a pretty penny for one, like this model pictured here.
Lotus Europa
We’ve encountered abandoned lots, houses, and even mansions throughout this list, but this entry marks the first abandoned town to feature here. This Lotus Europa was spotted inside of an abandoned dealership in the ghost town of Varosha in Cyprus.
Citroen DS
The DS was never going to break world speed records, but it was still a joy to drive in its time. With any luck, the one pictured here could have a new lease on life with proper restoration.
DeLorean DMC-12
Whoever owned this pristine DeLorean before clearly took the line “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads” a little too literally. The DMC-12 appeals to car enthusiasts and movie fans alike, so it’s only a matter of time before this one is snatched up… right?
BMW 840i
The 840i was a rare and expensive beast even by BMW’s standards, but that didn’t stop the previous owner of this car from leaving it behind. It’s been there for so long that they repainted the floor - around the left tyre!
