Photos reveal abandoned Iowa salvage yard 'Aladdin's Cave' with iconic Mustang and decaying Beetle
- Iowa salvage yard an ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ for petrolheads
- The salvage yard it’s full of classics from the 1930s-2000s
- Dominated by Fords, there are also Mustangs and Beetle
Published on Feb 12, 2025 at 5:41 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Feb 13, 2025 at 9:37 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Considered an ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ for petrolheads, an Iowa salvage yard is full of automotive classics from brands including Mustang, Ford, and Beetle.
The cars span from the 1930s to the 2000s, but now they’ve been overtaken by nature.
While dominated by many Fords from across the decades, there are also Mustangs and Beetle cars.
The owners of the yard have now shared them on Facebook in an attempt to sell the cars to collectors hoping to give them a new lease of life.
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The salvage yard full of seemingly abandoned classics
Most of the vehicles at Ron’s Auto Salvage Junkyard in Allison, Iowa, remain intact.
Still, most are heavily weathered and/or corroded after years of sitting in long grass and weeds.
The salvage yard is, perhaps, best known for its collection of pre-loved vintage cars and parts.
Despite the fleet appearing to be abandoned, Ron’s Auto Salvage is an active business and continues to sell vintage cars and used parts.
The owner’s knowledge of the cars is second-to-none with customers rating it a very respectable 4.9/5 on Google.
The classic car collection is the ultimate blend of nostalgia and rare automotive finds.
The models on offer
The Ford-heavy collection includes a number of Mustangs, a 1967 Ford Fairlane, a 1956 Ford FH00, and a 1973 Ford Thunderbird.
However, there are not only Ford models on offer.
An iconic Volkswagen Beetle, one of the most successful cars ever produced that was in production for a massive 65 years, is in situ, but sadly is rapidly deteriorating among the rusting vehicles.
Two-door compact car, the AMC Pacer, is an unusual model that was in production from 1975 to 1980.
Other notable, rare, and classic cars, include a 1949 Chevrolet and a Chrysler LeBaron convertible ( that was produced from 1993–1995), and mainly identifiable by its flush headlamps.
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.”
