‘Time to pass the torch’, says collector who put up for sale car cemetery with 300 vehicles – including classics from the 1940s

MANY rusty classic cars have found new life after the property owner decided to sell the deteriorating icons.

A 40-year-old car collection has gone bankrupt after its owner decided to get rid of almost 300 rusty relics.

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“It will be difficult to see some of these vehicles come down the road,” said Kerry Droog, the former owner, Workshop business while selling his lot of cars in 2017.

“I finally got to a point where I realized I couldn’t fix them all.

“It’s time to pass the torch and let someone else fulfill the dream of fixing them.”

Droog, owner of nearby K&K Auto Parts, had been collecting the cars for 40 years.

He said his favorite vehicles were 1960s Chevy pickup trucks.

However, he said the 300 cars began to deteriorate faster than he could repair them.

He decided to auction the vehicles and give them a new lease of life.

“It’s time to give some of these a new owner. I just don’t want to leave a mess for my wife,” he told Associated press.

Another pickup truck in Droog’s collection caught the attention of other car collectors.

Droog owned a rusty 1940 REO Speed ​​Wagon pickup truck.

Few names evoke the same sense of rugged durability and American ingenuity as the REO Speed ​​Wagon truck.

Designed by Ransom Eli Olds, the visionary behind GM’s Oldsmobile brand, the REO Speed ​​Wagon emerged in the early 20th century as a beacon of industrial prowess.

The pickup truck has become the American workhorse of choice for farmers, delivery drivers and businesses.

The pickup sold for less than $4,000 at auction, according to Lance K.

Droog told media outlets that many of the cars on his lot, including the REO, were missing parts.

However, the pickup still had the engine and transmission during the sale.

It’s time to give some of them a new owner. I just don’t want to leave a mess for my wife.

Kerry DroogClassic car collector

Droog hoped buyers would restore the cars to their original heritage.

“I like the finish, I like the quality,” said the owner.

“I have a soft spot for old things.”

Droog said he would continue to buy old cars after the initial auction.

Looks like he kept his word.

In 2022, five years after the initial auction, the Droog family entered dozens more collectible vehicles in another major sale, according to Vintage Cars Weekly.

The second auction included dozens of military vehicles, classic American muscle cars and vehicle paraphernalia such as gas pumps.