The Junkyard Gems of G&G Auto Salvage, Bruce, Wisconsin

As there are so few decent salvage yards left, trips need to be planned with extreme precision, and often involve journeys of hundreds of miles between locations. And even then, despite all the planning, it’s all too common to arrive at a yard to discover that it shut down a few weeks earlier, having crushed its entire inventory.

Occasionally however, we stumble upon a yard that doesn’t exist in any of our directories, and lacks any sort of online presence. This happened to us a few years ago while travelling on a rural stretch of state road 40 near Bruce, Wisconsin. While the owner of G&G Auto Salvage was completely mystified as to why anyone would want to photograph his yard, he was more than happy to let us in, asking his 16-year-old nephew to be our tour guide. As a result, we spent a few hours in the hot summer sun, traipsing through the undergrowth, and uncovering this fantastic collection of classic vehicles:

As you can see, the yard is overgrown, and this 1954 Chevrolet truck resembles some sort of garden ornament. In addition to what you see here, there are scores of cars hidden under the trees around the perimeter of the yard, making it the perfect place to explore. Unfortunately the dense foliage attracts mosquitoes, and our arms looked like pin cushions after a few hours here.

Our tour guide revealed that he was responsible for this 1972 Cadillac Coupe DeVille’s demise, having slammed it into reverse at 70mph. However he wasn’t responsible for cutting its roof off, or for the hot rod flames. Painted flames first started appearing on cars in the 1930s, but really grew in popularity in the 1950s.

This 1953 Chevrolet looks as pretty as a picture, basking in the hot Wisconsin summer sun. Surrounded by wild flowers, it’s hard to believe that it’s actually located in a salvage yard. Roughly half of the vehicles at G&G Auto Salvage are partly obscured by the undergrowth.

The AMC Gremlin was manufactured from 1970 to 1978, and judging by those taillights this is a very late one.  Although the AMC Gremlin won't go down in history as one of the most economical, fast, pretty or indeed competent US-built cars, it's certainly one of the most distinctive. 

The vehicle's unusual looks stem from the fact that it was actually a cut-down Javelin, leading people at the time of the launch to ask what happened to the half they cut off…

In answer to what happened to the half they cut off (see AMC Gremlin) – look no further than the next bush… There is in fact an entire 1968 AMC Javelin hiding here, but it’s not in the best of condition. Parking cars under trees is never a good idea, as they tend to stay permanently damp in the winter months. The rust on the trunk lid is replicated on the wheel arches, and presumably elsewhere too.

Although this is certainly an elderly Willys Jeep, it's not one of the original military ones. The immediate tell-tale signs are the one-piece windshield and slightly protruding headlights. 

It’s clearly had a tough life, and judging by the towing equipment on the front, has probably been used to move cars around the yard.

The four-wheel-drive Scout was International Harvester's answer to the Jeep, and while never as popular as its rival, it certainly carved itself a respectable slice of what was the newly emerging sport utility vehicle market. The vehicle would remain in production from 1961 to 1980. 

This mid-1960s example has been in the yard for the best part of a decade, its road-going days having ended prematurely following a collision with a tree.

According to our young tour guide, his uncle was behind the wheel of this Chevrolet when it hit the side of a bridge, flipped, then landed on its roof in a river. Fortunately both driver and passenger got out with no more than a few cuts and bruises. 

As to the model and year, your guess is as good as ours.

While its driving days are definitely behind it, there’s still enough body panels, bits of trim and glass to keep this 1952 Pontiac Chieftain away from the crusher for now. The model was produced from 1949 to 1958, over three generations. This four-door sedan would have cost either $2015 or $2120, depending on whether it was specified with six or eight cylinders.

We were reliably informed that this Studebaker wrecker was built in 1952, and was still working for a living until the 1990s. Note how the cab is full of plants, which is a pretty good indication of how rotten the floor must be. While the 2R was built from 1948 to 1953, the cab would remain in production for a further six years.

The 1963 Impala is widely considered to be the most attractive of the third generation (1961 to 1964) cars, and was certainly a good seller. Most popular engine choices were the 283 and 327cui V8s, which allowed the car to do a quarter mile in 17.3sec and 16.3sec respectively. The really hot ones however were fitted with a 409cui good for a cool 425bhp, managing the drag in just 14.9sec.

This retired workhorse appears to have been put out to pasture years ago. Since then it has yielded plenty of spare parts. It’s a 1954 Chevrolet 3100 stepside, which in good condition is a highly desirable vehicle. Although missing from this sorry example, it would once have sported an attractive grille, with three rows of horizontal bars. These came painted as standard, but for a small price increase, could be specified in chrome. Also missing from this one is the 235.5cui six-cylinder engine.

So many of G&G Auto Salvage’s cars were hidden in the undergrowth, and we nearly missed this 1969 Pontiac Bonneville. While the car does appear to be a bit lop-sided, it is in fact structurally sound, and has very little rust.

With its curved taillights and color-coded bumper insert, it certainly had one of the more distinctive rear ends of the era.

Check out the homemade flared wheel arches and fat tires on this early 1970s Subaru Leone.  Compared with Datsun and Toyota, Subaru was a late entrant into the US market, commencing sales in 1968. First to market was the 360 microcar, followed by the FF-1 a couple of years later. The Leone (Italian for lion) was launched in 1971 initially as a front-wheel-drive coupe, although four-wheel-drive and other body styles would soon follow.

It’s not every day that you find a Chrysler Cordoba hiding in the undergrowth. 

Like its Dodge Mirada sibling, the 1981 Cordoba featured an aerodynamic nosecone, giving this upmarket coupe a sporty appearance. But with the standard six-cylinder engine, which was good for just 95bhp, it was all sizzle and no steak. Sales were dire, with just 20,293 finding buyers that year.  The model was axed in 1983, after just three years on sale.

Produced between 1967 and 1970, the AMC Rebel was a replacement for the Rambler Classic. This is a 1970 four-door sedan, in top-trim SST guise. It’s quite a rare car, with just 13,092 being built. The Rebel was facelifted in 1971, and renamed the Matador. 

By far the most desirable Rebel was the Machine, which was only made in 1970. With a 340 hp V8 under its scooped hood, it could reach 60mph in 6.3sec and continue to a top speed of 150mph. Just 2326 were built, and they’re highly sought after today.

We would have missed this 1963 Jeep Wagoneer completely if our young tour guide hadn’t pointed it out, on account of it being buried in a far-flung corner of the yard.

Remaining in production for an impressive 29 years (1963 to 1991), it’s one of America’s longest-produced single-generation cars. But of course it has another claim to fame: it was the world’s first luxury 4x4. 

Unfortunately this one has spent a long time in the undergrowth, and is suffering from corrosion. While it’s too far gone to be restored, it does of course have some useful parts to offer.

And here’s another trendsetter - a mid-1950s Willys Jeep Station Wagon.

Introduced in 1946, it is widely considered to be the world's first SUV. Although it would be discontinued in 1964, following the launch of the Jeep Wagoneer, it would remain in production in South America until the late 1970s, largely unchanged from the original design.

This 1965 AMC Rambler American really is in terrific condition, and according to our tour guide, was driven to the yard.  As well as having a reputation for delivering good fuel economy, the compact American was the cheapest car in the US at the time. The humble 220 series two-door sedan cost just $1979, whereas this four-door 330 series would have set you back an additional couple of hundred dollars.

Although the offside front fender is showing signs of severe corrosion, the rest of the car appears to be sound. The interior is complete too, and because the car retains all of its glass, it’s in reasonable condition. Ignoring a 10-year break in the mid 1980s, and another from 1996 to 2000, the flagship Impala featured in Chevrolet’s line up from 1958 to 2020.

About the author

British automotive journalist Will Shiers has been photographing abandoned American cars for 35 years. He has visited all 50 states on his tin-hunting trips, exploring barns, fields, deserts, ghost towns and salvage yards, while searching for hidden treasures. 

Will has been contributing to car magazines for three decades, and is the author of Roadside Relics - America’s Abandoned Automobiles.