Roadside Relics: America's Abandoned Automobiles

by Will Shiers

Abandoned junk to some, the rusty old steel shells of vehicles are treasures to others, holding memories of a bygone era, or the promise of a pristinely restored, radically customized automobile. Automotive photographer Will Shiers has captured these dreams on film for over ten years, and this volume collects his images between two covers for the first time. Here are the beautiful husks Shiers has found in the United States fields and barns, shops, and salvage yards across States. Divided into five categories—General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Independents, and Special Vehicles—these wrecks and relics from 1910 to the 1970s come equipped with all the relevant information: history, model, location. And because few salvage yards today keep anything older than a 1980 vintage, many of these cars have been lost to the metal crusher. The most comprehensive and beautifully photographed collection of abandoned cars ever published, this volume preserves for all time the exquisite skeletons of American automotive might.

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2006

Reviews

[Graham Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author drove all over the continental United States and shot cars and commercial vehicles in junkyards, on farms, near abandoned petrol stations, and all manner of picturesque locations. The Upper Midwest and desert Southwest get special attention, but there’s at least one shot from each region of the country. Unfortunately, with these pictures being less than 15 years old, a lot of the vehicles featured have probably been sent to the crusher. Still, an unusual look at cars from the past.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook. Interesting for old automobile fanatics. Pictures, places, models