Rust in peace: Classic cars find their forever parking spot in Germany

In Germany’s Neandertal, 50 vintage cars are left to rust — a tribute to nature’s power

Last updated: October 22, 2025 | 13:51

Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor

2 MIN READ

An FSO Warszawa from Poland stands among other vintage cars at a private sculpture park in Germany’s Neanderthal Valley — where nature reclaims nostalgia as moss and maple leaves embrace the rusting classics.

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Fifty vintage cars from around the world rest in Germany’s Neandertal, where artist Michael Fröhlich’s open-air park lets nature slowly reclaim the classics, turning rust into living sculpture. Above, dolls of Queen Elizabeth II and her son Charles sit inside a vintage Rolls-Royce at the private car sculpture park.

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Once symbols of speed and elegance, these classics now rest silently beneath the forest canopy.

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Car collector Michael Fröhlich poses inside a vintage Jaguar XK120 at his private car sculpture park in Germany’s Neandertal.

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Faded paint, broken glass, and twisted chrome — each car tells its own forgotten story.

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Mushrooms grow around vintage cars at a private car sculpture park nestled in the forest of Neanderthal Valley in Mettmann, Germany.

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A painting decorates an Australian Holden vintage car.

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Collectors and photographers flock here, drawn to the haunting beauty of forgotten craftsmanship.

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The graveyard’s eerie calm contrasts with the machines’ once roaring engines — history at rest.

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Rust, roots, and relics — where Germany’s automotive past meets the quiet persistence of nature.

Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor

Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 26 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.