When it comes to junkyard finds, everyone seems to be focusing on muscle cars from the golden era and 1950s vehicles. I guess that’s what people restore the most nowadays because the pre-1940s rigs aren’t getting as much attention. Well, if you’re into pre-WW2 American classics, this Arizona junkyard is a place you should definitely check out.
Called Antique Parts Company and located in Salome, Arizona (in eastern La Paz County), this scrapyard is home to hundreds of vehicles gathered over the course of a few decades. It has nearly all types of automobiles, including desirable 1950s-to-1970s rigs, but it’s also loaded with pre-WWI2 vehicles we don’t see very often today.
A 1940 Packard is one of the first notable vehicles documented in the lengthy video below. Produced right before automobile manufacturing was halted due to World War 2, this Packard rolled off the assembly line when the company was still the number one luxury car maker in the US. These pre-WW2 Packards are quite rare but not exactly sought-after.
Next up, you’ll see a 1928 Studebaker. Yup, the company most famous for the Avanti and the Golden Hawk was building cars in the 1920s. Studebaker entered the said decade with vehicles like the Big Six, Special Six, and Light Six, but changed to the more iconic nomenclature that included the Commander, Director, and President in 1928.
Speaking of the 1920s, this junkyard is also home to a 1926 Cadillac, most likely of the Type V-63 variety. This lineage was produced from 1924 to 1930, and this specific model is a 314 series with a 132-inch (3,353-mm) wheelbase. Available in a variety of body styles, this Cadillac came with a 314-cubic-inch (5.1-liter) L-head V8 under the hood. The company sold nearly 28,000 examples, an impressive figure for the era.
Moving onto orphan brands, you’ll also see at least one LaSalle in this junkyard. Not very familiar with the name? Well, LaSalle was established in 1927 as part of GM’s “companion marque” program. It was launched alongside Marquette, Viking, and Pontiac, all of which were paired with already established divisions to fill price gaps. LaSalle was created as a companion brand for Cadillac.
Slotted right under Cadillac and above Buick, LaSalle marketed the second less expensive GM product. But just like Viking, Oakland, and Marquette, LaSalle was short-lived. GM discontinued the brand in 1940. But even though there’s no significant legacy to talk about, LaSalle made a bunch of coolrigs, including this Series 50, which shared underpinnings with the fancier Cadillac Series 60.
There are quite a few more orphan-brand vehicles rotting away in this yard, including a 1930 Diamond T truck and a 1925 Nash. A 1920 Dodge from the Dodge Brothers ownership era is also noteworthy. If you’re into Buicks, there are at least a couple of 1920s examples you won’t see on the road today. A 1937 Graham and a 1941 Pontiac ambulance round off my list of cars that should get a second chance.
Sadly, most of these rigs will never find their way back on public roads. They’re for sale as we speak, but I’m pretty sure some will be parted out, and most of them scrapped. But it’s not all sad news in this video. The footage ends with a 1948 Chrysler New Yorker which appears to be a nice unrestored survivor. Check them all out in the video below.