‘Time to pass the torch,’ says collector who put car graveyard of 300 vehicles up for sale – including 1940s classic
A RUSTING lot of classic cars have found new life after the property's owner decided to sell the deteriorating icons.
A 40-year-old collection of cars went under the hammer after its owner decided to part ways with nearly 300 rusting relics.
"It’s going to be difficult to see some of these vehicles go down the road," Kerry Droog, the former owner, told while selling his lot of cars in 2017.
"I finally got to a point where I realized that I could not fix them all.
"It’s time to pass the torch and let someone else pick up the dream of fixing them up."
Droog, an owner of nearby K&K Auto Parts, had been collecting the cars for 40 years.
He said his favorite vehicles were 1960s Chevy pickups.
However, he said the 300 cars had begun to deteriorate faster than he could fix them.
He decided to auction the vehicles and grant them a new life.
"It’s time to give some of these a new owner. I just don’t want to leave a mess for my wife," he told the .
Most read in Motors
Another pickup in Droog's collection caught the attention of other car collectors.
Droog owned a rusting 1940 REO Speed Wagon pickup.
Few names evoke the same sense of rugged durability and American ingenuity as the REO Speed Wagon truck.
Engineered by Ransom Eli Olds, the visionary behind GM's Oldsmobile brand, the REO Speed Wagon emerged in the early 20th century as a beacon of industrial prowess.
The pickup became an American workhorse of choice for farmers, delivery drivers, and businesses.
The pickup sold for less than $4,000 at auction, according to .
Droog told outlets that many of the cars on his lot, incuding the REO, were missing parts.
However, the pickup still had its engine and transmission during the sale.
It’s time to give some of these a new owner. I just don’t want to leave a mess for my wife.
Kerry Droog
Droog hoped that buyers would restore the cars to their initial legacy.
"I like how the craftsmanship was, I like the quality," the owner said.
"I have a thing for the old stuff."
Droog said he would continue to buy old cars after the initial auction.
It appears he kept his word.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
In 2022, five years after the initial auction, the Droog family entered dozens more collectible vehicles in another large sale, according to .
The second auction included dozens of military vehicles, classic American muscle cars, and vehicle paraphernalia like gas pumps.