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

This remarkable site boasts thousands of parts cars, spanning from the 1920s to the present day. The yard is meticulously organized, with everything securely stored on firm ground. Best of all, someone has written the year of manufacture on everything, making identification a whole lot easier.

With row upon row of vintage cars, French Lake Auto Parts truly is a national treasure. It's no wonder classic car enthusiasts from across the US and beyond flock to this place. To give you an idea of its popularity, you can even buy a souvenir t-shirt in the office. This 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe four-door sedan, for example, appears to be in pretty good shape.

Take a look at this stunning vista—there’s plenty to catch the eye here. Front and center is a 1976 Buick Skylark coupe, one of the newer cars in this impressive lineup. Despite a few interruptions in its production, the Skylark remained a staple of Buick's lineup from its debut in 1953 until its final curtain call in 1998.

The heart-shaped windshield hole immediately identifies this as a Kaiser. It’s a Manhattan, and according to the scribbling on the hood it hails from either 1954 or 1955. Seeing as only 270 were registered in the latter year, we’ll assume it’s an earlier example.

The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was founded in 1945 as a joint venture between the Henry J Kaiser Company and Graham-Paige Motors Corporation. Although initial sales were robust, the company lacked the resources to withstand long-term competition with the Big Three.

One section of French Lake Auto Parts is dedicated to modern cars, and it’s here that we found a small selection of rare European and Japanese imports. The Fiat 131 was a significant success, with 1.5 million units sold worldwide.

However, only a small proportion made it to the US, where they were branded as Brava and Super Brava. These cars were plagued with mechanical issues, leading to their withdrawal in 1981, a year after this particular example was sold.

It's rare to find a 100-year-old vehicle in a salvage yard. This car, manufactured by Dodge Brothers, dates between 1923 and 1926, according to scribblings on the vehicle. Founded in 1900 by brothers Horace Elgin Dodge and John Francis Dodge, the company was only a quarter-century old when this car rolled off the Detroit production line.

Manufactured by Cadillac between 1927 and 1940, LaSalle was marketed as GM’s second most prestigious brand. This particular model is from 1938 and is one of 23,028 examples built that year. Sales increased to 24,133 the following year, just before the marque was discontinued.

At some point in its long life, this 1948 Packard faced the indignity of being converted into a pickup truck. To make matters worse, the conversion was done on the cheap. The result resembles a wooden outhouse more than a once-luxurious automobile.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

The 1967 Mercury Cougar, built on the Ford Mustang platform but with a heftier price tag, was an instant hit. With a base price of $2854, an impressive 150,893 buyers drove one off the lot in its debut year, exceeding sales expectations.

This level of popularity wouldn't be matched until the fourth-generation models from 1977 to 1979. Over its long production run, which spanned from 1967 to 2002, nearly 3 million Cougars were produced.

In early 1942, the US government halted civilian automobile production, directing factories to focus on military vehicles and weapons instead. Nash Motors was no exception, swiftly transitioning to manufacturing aircraft engines, binoculars, and some of the first Sikorsky helicopters.

Due to this shortened production run, only 31,780 cars were built that year, making any surviving models exceptionally rare. This example is remarkably complete, right down to its wheel trims.

Despite the lower half of the doors suffering from severe corrosion, this 1960 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 still has a wealth of spare parts up for grabs. If you're in need of any, get in touch with French Lake Auto Parts, or better still, make the trip to Minnesota and spend a day exploring this incredible yard in person.

French Lake Auto Parts is an enormous place with more cars to explore so look out for part 2 of our story on this yard soon.

If you enjoyed this story, please click the Follow button above to see more like it from Autocar