6 abandoned car dealerships in the US hiding millions in dusty classics
Published on Aug 11, 2025 at 1:26 AM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Aug 07, 2025 at 2:02 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Abandoned car dealerships, often referred to as ‘ghost dealerships’, are remnants of a bygone era, showcasing the decaying remains of a once-thriving US business in the form of car classics.
More than shuttered showrooms, they’re time capsules frozen in chrome and rust.
From Midwest muscle to coastal classics, each tells a story.
Here are the most haunting relics uncovered by Supercar Blondie.
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1. Collier Motors – Pikeville, North Carolina, US
Once known as the ‘last surviving AMC dealership in the US’, Collier Motors still holds over 200 AMC vehicles – AMXs, Gremlins, Javelins, Pacers – exposed to the elements since the 1980s.
It’s a spooky, but soul-stirring sight for AMC lovers via Stapleton42.
The impressive collection includes plenty of muscle cars, including the AMXs, Gremlins, and Javelins, that have been parked for 30 years.
2. Vintage Chevrolet & Cadillac Dealership – Mid‑West time capsule
A virtual time capsule, this Chevrolet and Cadillac dealership, which opened in the 1940s and closed for good in 2014, was discovered by urban explorers, Urbax Vibes.
While the vehicles have been removed, it’s still stacked with desks, paperwork, marketing material, and even some car keys.
3. Abandoned car dealerships: Hoard of classics New England
Hidden in a small New Hampshire town, an abandoned Ford and Chevy dealership revealed an astonishing collection: a 1941 Ford Woodie Wagon, a ’64 Galaxie convertible, a ’77 Corvette, and a fire truck.
They were left to decay after a family tragedy struck the business and were discovered in 2015 by YouTuber John Amesie, who took a look while he was driving through.
Its mystery turned it into an internet legend after Amesie returned to find that some of the cars had vanished.
4. 1949 Chevrolet dealership turned relic
This 1949 Chevy dealership and its adjacent parts store – closed since the 1980s – still houses original parts on dusty shelves and classic cars on the forecourt.
Described as an ‘amazing automotive time capsule’, it has been converted into a personal collection and has a variety of classic cars and vintage automotive memorabilia for enthusiastic visitors to enjoy.
David Freiburger and Rick Péwé were the team that embarked on a 600-mile road trip in a 1971 Jeepster Commando that failed, leaving the road trip deemed a ‘fiasco’.
5. Iowa’s lost 1957 Plymouth Belvedere
This 1957 Plymouth Belvedere convertible sat untouched on a dealership floor in Iowa for around 50 years after the shop closed circa 1972.
It was eventually recovered by Tom Hergert, the owner of Rocket Restoration.
When rescued, it was missing major body parts – but still offered epic potential for restoration.
6. Abandoned car dealerships: Chicago treasure trove hiding million‑dollar cars
A surprisingly large abandoned dealership in Chicago revealed a treasure trove.
YouTuber Urbex Ashton originally made the discovery at night using a flashlight to uncover a range of European sedans before returning the next day.
It included a Mercedes 300 SL, Porsches, Jaguars, VW buses, and even motorbikes – all quietly rotting but still worth an estimated one million dollars in total.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
