Junkyard Discoveries from Ron’s Auto Salvage in Allison, Iowa

Slide of There’s a framed aerial photograph hanging in the Ron’s Auto Salvage office, showing hundreds of cars parked in a field. We’re going to assume it was taken at least 30 years ago, because while the cars are still there, the field has since transformed into a forest.  We spent an enjoyable September afternoon exploring this wonderful place, unearthing classics ranging in age from the 1930s to the 2000s. Slide of Treasures within This 1938/1939 Ford truck, which doubles up as a fine garden ornament, is visible from the roadside, and is the only clue as to what treasures are lurking in the foliage behind the property. Slide of FORD MUSTANG While there’s a real mix of marques at Ron’s Auto Salvage, there seems to be a higher concentration of Fords than anything else. We spotted an entire herd of wild Mustangs grazing in the undergrowth, including this early example. It’s not looking very healthy, and it’s galloping days are long past. Slide of MERCURY PARKLANE - 1966 In 1965 the Mercury Park Lane was given distinctive slab sides, aping the Lincoln Continental of the same era. The styling continued into 1966, as featured on this example. It’s a four-door hardtop sedan, which had a list price of $3460, and with 19,204 finding buyers, was easily the best-selling body style in the Parklane line-up. Slide of FORD FAIRLANE - 1967 Parking cars under trees is never advisable. Wet leaves accumulate in the crevasses, and with the sun unable to break through the canopy of foliage above, they remain damp and act as a breeding ground for dreaded rust. So far, this 1967 Ford Fairlane has managed to avoid too much rot, but it’s only a matter of time. Slide of BUICK ELECTRA - 1969 The Electra, which replaced the Roadmaster in 1959 as Buick’s flagship model, had a long production run. In total there were six generations, which took it right through to 1990. This is a 1969 (third generation) Electra 225, which demonstrated crisp new side styling. It also featured ventless front windows for the first time. Almost 16,000 of these four-door hardtop sedans were built, but few remain in junkyards today. This one has plenty of great parts on offer. Slide of CADILLAC -1953 This 1953 Cadillac is looking pretty good for a 70-plus-year-old junkyard resident, and is still relatively rust-free. It’s rare to find these with intact taillights and look how that rear bumper gleams. Helping its longevity is its location in the yard. Like the Buick, it’s parked in a field at the edge of the forest, meaning it gets to dry-out in the Iowa sunshine. Slide of LINCOLN CONTINENTAL MKIII - 1969 Going into production in 1968, the Lincoln Continental Mark III was Ford Motor Company’s flagship car, and a direct competitor to the Cadillac Eldorado. These two-door hardtop coupes were the height of luxury, and proudly wore Rolls-Royce-type grilles to stress their importance. This is a 1969 example, one of 23,088 built that year. The Mark III was replaced by the Mark IV in 1972. Slide of FORD F500 - 1956 Ford is well represented at Ron’s Auto Salvage by commercial vehicles too. We unearthed several trucks in the undergrowth, including this 1956 F-Series. It’s a F-500, which was previously known as an F-5. The F-Series has survived from 1948 to the present day, spanning 14 generations. Slide of EDSEL RANGER - 1958 Considering that it was such a massive sales flop, it’s surprising how many Edsels still exist in junkyards. Ron’s Auto Salvage has at least three of them, including this 1958 Ranger. 1958 was the marque’s best year, with 68,045 of them rolling off the line. But it was a far cry from the 200,000 projected sales. Ford announced the abandonment of its Edsel misadventure in November 1959. Slide of CHRYSLER LEBARON Here’s one of the more youthful and colorful residents of Ron’s Auto Salvage. It’s a facelifted third generation Chrysler LeBaron convertible, which dates it to between 1993 and 1995. These cars are easily identified by their flush headlamps, which replaced the retractable hidden lights of the earlier cars. Slide of LINCOLN VERSAILLES - 1980 Hiding in the undergrowth is a rare, and rather tatty, Lincoln Versailles. These midsize luxury cars, which were basically posh Granadas, were only offered between 1977 and 1980. They weren’t particularly popular and were consistently outsold by their Cadillac Seville rivals at a rate of three to one. This is a 1980 example, the rarest of the lot, and one of just 4785 built. Slide of MAZDA RX4 - 1976 The Mazda RX-4 was imported into the US between 1974 and 1978. Offered in three body styles (hardtop coupe, sedan, and station wagon), it was powered by a rotary engine. They were luxurious, and relatively sporty too, and this 1976 station wagon would have managed 60mph in just over 10sec back in the day. Not bad. Although i