in ,

Quite a discovery: An abandoned dealership?

Discovering an abandoned dealership full of classic cars is one of the dreams of any fan. Paco Carrión was lucky enough to fulfill it and he tells us about it in detail.

That of finding a site that has not been used, cleaned or frequented by human beings for years and years and that is also like the day it was closed, always generates a certain curiosity.

On many occasions there are news titles very similar to this article, and normally the content tends to attract a lot of attention, both to the amateur and to the layman.

The discoverers of the Egyptian tombs must have felt something like this more than 100 years agoOf course, what they found was of infinitely greater historical value (or not?).

In Spain we can also find such interesting places if we search a little.

Lately Several abandoned dealerships have appeared that have made the news in the media dedicated to the classic car.

MORE EXAMPLES

En Denmark was discovered a few years ago former Fiat official service that was closed in the 80s with everything that was inside, whether they were spare parts, vehicles under repair or completely new cars that were never released.

Another similar case occurred recently in Nebrasca, USA, where a former Chevrolet dealership called Lambrecht closed in the early '70s with an incredible array of new models inside, some of which had lain there unsold since the 50's.

Undoubtedly, a place like this is the dream of any collector, since it gives the possibility of finding -as happened in this last case- a whole 1956 Chevy Bel Air with only 14 kilometers on the marker.

And of course, Who wouldn't like to release a classic? Finally, the collection that the Lambrecht family had kept for so many years was auctioned between the past 28 and 29 September and, as you can guess after watching the video, it caused a lot of expectation.

The result of the auction of all the material was spectacular, and not only because of the huge number of people who came to see the lots; the figures that reached the sales were of several million dollars, and that none of the cars sold worked.

This attractive Alfa Romeo appears to be in quite acceptable condition.

And this is another factor that must be taken into account when faced with a discovery of this kind: even if the cars seem intact and have hardly run since they were manufactured, they will surely need many hours and money to get back up and running.

As we all know, there is nothing worse for a vehicle than a long period of inactivity, and that tagline from so many salespeople "Stopped working" can only hide possible unpleasant surprises.

ALSO IN SPAIN

The case at hand is similar but not exactly the same than those mentioned above, because here we will not find any machine that was abandoned before it was released.

This first-series Renault 5 has hardly rolled on our roads.

We did find cars that were "retired" early, like a precious Renault 5 950 With only 40.000 km on its marker and in very close condition to what it should have been when it first hit the road.

The culprit that we can see a place as interesting as the one in these photos is a motorsport fan in general and a collector of classics who has been in this world for many years and to whom, in addition, the hobby runs in the family.

As can still be seen on the walls, this place was consecrated until the 90s to the General Motors group, but at a certain point, later on, was dedicated to the sale of used vehicles.

 Beneath that layer of dust you can see how fine the Humber Hawk is.

The problem -or luck for us- is that the units that were arriving and that were to the taste of the owner of the space they were never resold and they were parked there, even after having received a complete restoration job.

This is the case of the oldest in the place, a Bonito humber hawk which beneath the dust is brilliantly painted in a suitable English green, but also of a “modern” Renault 4 TL of the latest generation.

Others were kept as they arrived, with their defects or breakdowns: a Opel Kadett with Tenerife license plate it has a big side ding that could hardly be fixed, and the most exotic in the collection, a rare 60s Neckar Europa, has a major engine problem.

 A Neckar Europa, almost impossible to find with original Spanish license plate.

This strange car is actually a Fiat 1100 Manufactured under license in Germany and with slight aesthetic modifications compared to the original model.

MANY SEATS

As it cannot be less in our country, SEATs are the majority, although there are also two Citroëns, a Mercedes and several Italian products, among which we should highlight a beautiful Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce in very good condition and that seems to be crying out for a kind soul to give new life to its graceful boxer engine.

At least this place is in a relatively good condition and it does not seem that factors such as humidity are going to affect, for now, the vehicles that are stored there.

And is that these sites always lead to one to imagine driving one or more of these poor forgotten cars ... Of course, probably, seen separately and in perfect conditions of use, they would not attract so much attention. Or if?

GALLERY: MORE PHOTOS OF THE ABANDONED DEALERSHIP

What do you think?

avatar photo

Written by Francisco Carrion

My name is Francisco Carrión and I was born in Ciudad Real in 1988, a place that was not at first akin to vintage cars. Fortunately my grandfather, dedicated to the automotive sector, had friends who owned veteran cars and participated in the annual rally that was held (and continues to be held) in my hometown ... Read more

Subscribe to the newsletter

Once a month in your mail.

Thanks a lot! Do not forget to confirm your subscription through the email that we have just sent you.

Something has gone wrong. Please try again.

60.2 kHappy fans
2.1 kFollowers
3.4 kFollowers
3.8 kFollowers