Million dollar car graveyard in German forest is full of rare motors
- This surreal car ‘graveyard’ lies in a German forest
- But it isn’t what it looks like…
- The 50 classic cars actually form an art installation with a message behind it
Published on Feb 21, 2024 at 9:11 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Feb 22, 2024 at 1:25 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
Deep within a German forest lies a surreal car graveyard that needs to be seen to be believed.
The 20,000 square meter compound, located in Neandertal 12 km (7.5 m) east of Düsseldorf, is not a scrapyard or sales forecourt.
Once worth millions, these rare and collectable cars are usually kept going at a great cost.
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However, it’s not a car graveyard like this one in Japan filled with classic cars.
Or this collection of 230 classic cars, including rare Ferraris, found in a hidden barn.
Nor is it a scrapyard or bizarre sales forecourt – all of these cars and the stories behind them were staged.
But here, they’re encouraged to deteriorate and vanish with an occasional coat of milk or saltwater.
The thought-provoking art installation was arranged by German car dealer, designer and constructor, Michael Fröhlich.
He launched the project in the year 2000.
He started when, for his 50th birthday, he gifted himself fifty classic cars built in 1950 – the year he was born.
But he didn’t buy them to maintain, flip or simply enjoy: he bought them with the purpose of watching them rot.
He spent millions in his quest to show the undeniable supremacy of Mother Nature.
“That is the circle of life,” says YouTuber, Broken Window Theory. “It’s a metaphor for life.”
He hopes to convey transience via the cars and, through the biosphere that’s sprung up around them, that as one thing is dying, something else is being born.
A white Jaguar was the first car he dumped in the woods.
It won the Oldtimer Grand Prix on a German racing track
That was followed by the Porsche of his competitor.
Then 48 other automobiles from all around the world were also placed there.
Including a Russian Moskvich, each represents a separate piece of history.
However, the brand and model of the car is actually of little importance.
Rust and decomposition have given them new colorways and texture.
Rather, Fröhlich’s message is that Mother Nature is the great equalizer.
And cars aren’t the only thing on display, with an aircraft, horse and cart, English phone box and even a part of the Berlin Wall.
The controversial art project also features an original part of the Berlin wall.
Even the bottles popped during the celebrations when its opened are piled into an old Citroën, becoming part of the story.
It’s worth noting that oil and other contaminents were removed before the cars were put in situ to ensure that the project would not detract from the natural beauty of the site,
The park is only open on Sundays for a fee, and you have to book in advance.
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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.”
