Man has to scrap his dozen-strong Alfa Romeo collection in junkyard

A collection of old Alfa Romeo cars from a vehicle parts shop in Michigan, US, is set to be forcibly scrapped and sits in a junkyard after a battle with the city.

Located in Sterling Heights, Michigan, in greater Detroit, and cared for by the yard’s owner, Dean Russell, there are dozens of old Alfa Romeo models previously used for parts that he’s now being forced to junk.

As famously unreliable as they are, the now out-of-production classic AF car parts are usually passed between Alfa Romeo owners to keep the classic cars going.

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So why does the junkyard have so many Alfa Romeo cars?

The Alfas are on the lot of US Auto Supply, with photos shared on the yard’s Facebook page earlier this month.

It read: “5 Alfas currently in the yard… That has to be all of them, right??.

“Nope, we have a ton on deck! (These are in the holding area. They will be sold as whole or put in the yard for parts. Watch US Auto Supply – Used Cars for vehicles being sold whole and this page for vehicles being parted).”

While it’s clearly not a car collection that’s been collated with any care and some are showing damage – the vast majority look like they’d run or could be used for parts.

The photos don’t reveal the entirety of the models that the yard has either.

However what we can make out are a few Alfa Romeo Spider sports cars, 164 sedans, and an Alfetta.

Alfa Romeo recently unveiled its first electric car, the Milano SUV.

Not long after it was unveiled, however, the name of the new Milano SUV was switched to ‘Junior’ because of Italian law.

What are they doing in the junkyard?

It’s said that Russell runs an Alfa Romeo specialty shop called Trail Auto.

And this is where the Alfas were located until his trouble with the city started.

Speaking to The Drive, he told interviewers that the cars were removed from his shop after a court order.

The court order is said to be the result of a zoning dispute.

However, Russell still has the cars’ titles – and he wants them back.

Without going into details about his plans, he did say he’d been bowled over by interested members of the public.

Of course, the comment section was overflowing with speculation about the reason for the mechanic’s haul being forcibly removed.

With conflicting and hazy reasons as to why, some allege a long struggle between the shop and the city.

In other words: nobody knows.

What’s next?

With Alfa Romeo unlikely to reproduce many of these parts, we just hope these automotive goodies make their way to where they’re needed.

As Russell’s Facebook page reads: “Bring your own tools & pull used parts in our auto salvage yard. All cars are on stands, organized by make. Easy online vehicle search & part interchange. We buy cars daily – get your parts now!”

Looking into the future, Alfa Romeo are ditching long-standing iconic tradition with a new Giulia coupe.

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