The Junkyard finds from French Lake Auto Parts, Annandale, Minnesota

RAMBLER - 1962

This 1962 Rambler four-door station wagon hasn't been on the road for over 30 years, making its fabulous condition even more remarkable. It likely sat in someone's garage for a long time, with the owner intending to restore it to its former glory. One thing is certain: it hasn't been at French Lake Auto Parts for very long, or it would surely have lost some of its rust-free body panels by now.

CADILLAC BIARRITZ CONVERTIBLE - 1984

Although Cadillac ceased production of convertibles in 1976, in 1984 they made a return in the guise of the Eldorado Biarritz. Although officially a Cadillac product, the conversion was done by the American Sunroof Corporation. Sales were slow, and only 3300 units found buyers, making this a rarity.

DESOTO FIREDOME - 1956

While the Firedome started out in 1952 as DeSoto’s flagship car, by 1956 when this example was built, it had been demoted to the entry-level model.

This car was powered by a 5.4-litre 230hp V8, which would have taken it to 60mph in less than 10 seconds. This is a four-door sedan, one of 44,909 built that year.

WILLYS AERO CUSTOM - 1955

You will be searching for a long time to find another 1955 Willys Aero Custom in a salvage yard, especially one with this many hard-to-find parts still left on it.

Although this was the final year for Aero production in the US, the tooling found its way to Brazil, where the car was built from 1960 to 1971 and sold at Ford dealerships.

CHEVROLET CAVALIER - 1985

The Type 10 package was only available on Chevrolet Cavalier coupes in 1984 and the 1985, this being one of the latter cars. That giant trunk spoiler certainly looks the part, but it turned this Cavalier into a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Its 2.0-litre engine mustered up just 88hp, which took the Cavalier to 60mph in a leisurely 13.2sec.

FORD COUNTRY SEDAN - 1952

There used to be a 3.9-litre V8 under this 1952 Ford Country Sedan’s now non-existent hood. However, both the engine and the car’s dreams of hitting the highway again are long gone. The Country Sedan, part of the Ford Customline range from 1952 to 1954, saw its sales increase dramatically from 11,927 to 48,384 during this period, despite minimal changes to its body style.

DODGE MONACO - 1969

This Dodge Monaco two-door coupe, built in 1969, marks the debut of the second-generation models. This example is a 500, which included features like bucket seats and a center armrest. It originally came with a 6.3-litre V8 engine producing 245hp, but buyers had the option to upgrade to engines delivering 330hp or 375hp.

LINCOLN PREMIERE - 1957

Someone has already rehomed all four of this 1957 Lincoln Premiere’s doors, but there are still many parts left to reclaim, including its somewhat tatty four-way power seats. Produced from 1955 to 1960, the Lincoln Premiere fitted neatly between the Capri and the range-topping Continental Mark II.

The driving light, originally at the bottom edge of the front bumper, was repositioned below the traditional sealed beam headlight, creating the appearance of stacked dual headlights—a feature Lincoln dubbed Quadra-Lite.

BUICK LESABRE - 1960

It's odd that someone chose to cut off half of this 1960 Buick LeSabre’s trunk lid rather than simply removing the entire thing. Introduced in 1959, the LeSabre remained in production for an impressive 46 years. Although the 1960 models are considered first-generation, they received a major facelift and shared little more than their roofs and trunks with the previous year’s version.

TOYOTA CORONA - 1977

The Corona, named after the Latin word for crown, was pivotal to Toyota’s success. The first model launched in the US was the 1966 Mk3, which impressed drivers with its reliability. Toyota’s triumph paved the way for other Japanese car manufacturers. By the time this 1977 Mk5 was built, it faced competition from the popular Honda Accord.

PONTIAC SAFARI - 1960

According to its license plate tags, this 1960 Pontiac Safari wagon retired after 17 years, and likely hasn’t moved under its own steam for the better part of five decades. In fact, judging by the way it has sunk into the dirt, it’s probably spent much of that time here at French Lake Auto Parts.

PLYMOUTH CRANBROOK - 1951

In contrast to the Pontiac Safari wagon, this 1951 Plymouth Cranbrook survived on the roads until the mid-1980s. It’s got an abundance of rust-free parts, and if you see anything you’d like, give French Lake Auto Parts a call and quote the code scribbled all over the car. 

VOLKSWAGEN BUS - 1978

There can’t be a vintage salvage yard anywhere in the US that doesn’t have at least one Volkswagen bus in its inventory. French Lake Auto Parts’ offering is this 1978 version, which has definitely seen better days. Although most of its body panels are too rotten to be saved, there’s an abundance of other spares on offer. That appears to be a VW Beetle chassis perched on its roof.

BUICK - 1937

"Rear end rusted inside" is the least of this Buick’s issues, judging by its appalling condition. Although we couldn't find any identifying marks, our best guess is that it was built in 1937. This was a great year for Buick, with 220,346 cars sold—its best sales performance in a decade, a number that wouldn't be beaten until 1940.

CADILLAC ELDORADO - 1969

This Eldorado is one of just 23,333 built in 1969, accounting for roughly 10% of Cadillac’s production that year. While the average car cost $3270 in 1969, the Eldorado, with its $6710 price tag, was anything but average. Buyers enjoyed numerous creature comforts and a powerful 7.7-litre engine, making it a luxurious choice for the discerning driver.

CHEVROLET 150 - 1955

While the 1957 models often steal the spotlight today, it's worth noting that the best-selling Tri-Five Chevy was the 1955. With nearly 1.78 million units sold, it outpaced the 1956 and 1957 models, which sold 1.62 million and 1.56 million respectively. This 1955 150 four-door sedan still has a lot going for it.

CHRYSLER NEWPORT - 1963

In 1963, Chrysler deleted the Newport's tailfins, but they made a return the following year, as seen here. This car is in exceptional condition for a junkyard gem, appearing relatively rust-free and complete. Approximately 85,000 Newports were built in 1963, the majority of which were four-door sedans like this one.

CHEVROLET CAPRICE ESTATE - 1978

This 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Estate might be riddled with tin-worm, but at least it doesn’t have to contend with wood-munching beetles, thanks to its faux woodgrain panelling. Chevrolet and Dodge were the first automobile manufacturers to introduce vinyl wood-trimmed ‘woodie’ station wagons back in 1966.

MERCURY PARK LANE - 1965

Considering its brightness, this 1965 Mercury Park Lane must have been resprayed fairly recently. However, the peeling paint suggests a poor-quality job. It's rather unusual to find a convertible in a salvage yard with a relatively intact ragtop. With just over 3000 of these built, it’s a rare find.

DESOTO DELUXE COUPE - 1947

There can’t be many of these left in such a decapitated state. This ultra-rare 1947 DeSoto Deluxe two-door, three-passenger coupe is one of only 1950 units built that year. When pushed to its limits, its 3.9-litre engine, with all 109 horses unleashed, would take about 23 seconds to reach 60mph. This is just one of several DeSotos from this era that we unearthed at French Lake Auto Parts.

BUICK ROADMASTER - 1953

Take a look at this trunk lid—it’s in fantastic condition. In fact, it’s just one of many rust-free body parts this 1953 Buick Roadmaster four-door sedan has to offer. The Roadmaster was a staple in Buick’s lineup during three different periods between 1936 and 1996, but it was only between 1946 and 1957 that it held the title of the marque’s flagship automobile.

NAVISTAR PICKUP - 1974

This 1974 International Light Line clearly didn’t roll off the factory floor with such crude bodywork. Founded in 1902, the International Harvester Company initially focused on agricultural machinery before expanding into trucks and other vehicles. Today, the company is known as Navistar International and is owned by Volkswagen.

DODGE CORONET CLUB COUPE - 1950

In 1950, Dodge offered seven different variants of the Coronet, with the stylish Club Coupe emerging as the best-seller. More than 38,000 units were sold, contributing to a record production year of 341,797 vehicles. It was a milestone the manufacturer wouldn’t surpass for another decade.

PACKARD PATRICIAN - 1955

Introduced in 1951, the range-topping Packard Patrician was nearing the end of its run by 1955, the year this example rolled out of Detroit. That year, the Patrician received a significant refresh, though it was done on a tight budget.

The updates included a new wrap-around windshield, an updated dashboard, and distinctive cathedral-style rear taillights, as seen on this car. 1955 also marked the debut of Packard's first and only V8 engine. Despite these changes, sales remained disappointing, with only 9127 units leaving showrooms.

MG MGB - 1976

Despite being off the road for over a decade, this 1976 MG MGB roadster still manages to hold air in all four tires. Built during the ungainly black rubber bumper era, it also features the 1in lift implemented two years earlier to meet new US headlight regulations. While this height adjustment was a cost-effective alternative to a full redesign, like the bulky bumpers, it negatively impacted the car’s handling.

BUICK - 1948

This 1948 Buick boasts several rot-free parts. However, anyone purchasing that rear fender will have three bullet holes and a dent to contend with. In contrast the interior is seriously decomposed, which would indicate that the car has been missing its windows and passenger door for some years.

LINCOLN SPORT SEDAN - 1950

Well, that’s one way to remove a rear windshield without risking shattered glass—just cut it out. Here, we see the remnants of a 1950 Lincoln, likely a Sport Sedan. Priced at $2576, this was Lincoln’s entry-level model and its best-seller that year, with nearly 12,000 units produced.

However, 1950 was a disastrous year for Lincoln, with production plummeting to just 28,190 units—down sharply from the 73,507 vehicles produced the previous year. In stark contrast, rival Cadillac saw its sales rise by 11,000 units.

NASH AMBASSADOR SUPER - 1950

Nash touted its Ambassador Super four-door sedan as offering the best value per dollar in 1950, confidently claiming it outclassed the competition. Buyers also enjoyed the advantage of single-unit construction, which the sales literature hailed as the "greatest safety feature ever built into an automobile."

Judging by the condition of this example, it seems to have stood the test of time remarkably well.

PLYMOUTH SUBURBAN - 1958

The 1957 Plymouths marked a radical departure from their predecessors, showcasing a bold new design by Virgil Exner. This striking look carried over into 1958, with only minimal visual changes, as seen in this example. That year, Plymouth sold a total of 55,865 Custom Suburbans, a mix of six- and nine-passenger models.

Despite its rough condition, this particular Suburban is remarkably intact and offers a treasure trove of spare parts.

FORD GALAXIE 500 - 1964

In 1965, the Ford Galaxie received a major restyle, but that didn’t deter buyers from snapping up the 1964 models. Some 593,533 Galaxies rolled off the assembly line that year, contributing to Ford's impressive total of 1.59 million vehicles produced—the company's best performance since 1957.

This particular 1964 Galaxie 500 still boasts gleaming chrome that shines brightly under the Minnesota sun.