Is This The Largest Automotive Collection in the World? 1,800 Cars in Rural California

When it comes to barn finds, Barn Find Hunter star Tom Cotter has discovered more than his share of gems tucked away out of sight of prying eyes just by following little clues to the possible presence of a gem hidden on the property. However, there are some finds that don’t exactly fall under “barn finds” but are still worth exploring thoroughly and one one such site is the Cuyama Historical Car Garden, home to nearly 1,800 classic cars that, on first glance seem to haphazardly litter the Northern California countryside. However, upon closer inspection, the garden is laid out in the way one might design a contemplation garden.

With nearly 2,000 cars on the property, you’d think they would be hard to keep track of, but Cotter seems to indicate the owner, who’s now deceased, would have known nearly every car on the grounds, and there are some real gems in the garden that would make great restoration projects, from the Isetta Tom takes a close look at to the awesome 1969 Jaguar XK 150 Coupe that Cotter himself says would be the one car he would rescue from the garden if he had the opportunity.

Unfortunately, none of the 1,800 plus cars are for sale, and don’t even think about going parts shopping on the property either, as the sign clearly states that no cars or even parts will be sold. Instead, the collection will remain, at least for the foreseeable future, exactly as it was left by the owner. While that’s not ideal news for collectors and rebuilders out there who could use the cars themselves and the seemingly endless supply of parts that come from them, it is great news for those who have the opportunity to enjoy the park itself, which is open by invitation only. As the sign says, the garden will serve as “a memorial to the men of machines and the machines of men”.