This is from the famous Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. Some want to believe that an eccentric Texas millionaire (and those do exist!) would buy one Cadillac after another and when it was time to buy a new one, he would have the old one buried nose first on his land..... However, the truth is, the Cadillac Ranch was a planned artistic endeavor; as a tribute to America's best automobile, a collective of artists called Ant Farm decided to place 10 Cadillacs, ranging from a 1949 Club Coupe to a 1963 Sedan, in a wheat field located west of Amarillo. And the millionaire Mr. Stanley Marsh 3, a local helium tycoon, provided some place for the cars to rest. Ten big holes were dug and the cars were driven with their front end into them. But, some of the old story is true: Texas millionaire Stanley Marsh, 3 IS rather eccentric. He is also said to be very down to earth, quickly disregarding the "III” as too pretentious and using "3" instead. And in 1973, he invited a San Francisco artists’ collective called the Ant Farm to help him in the creation of a unique work of art for his sprawling ranch just west of Amarillo. Built along the tattered remains of historic Route 66, the cars were meant to represent the "Golden Age” of American automobiles. Most of the cars, model years from 1948 to 1963, were purchased from junk yards, and averaged about $200. At first, the cars displayed their original paint jobs – turquoise, banana yellow, gold, and sky blue, but barely was the monument complete, when people were scratching or painting their names in the cars. Over time, vandals and souvenir hounds smashed the windows, made off with all the chrome, radios, speakers and even some of the doors. The wheels have since been welded to the axles to prevent more theft. However, Marsh still says "We think it looks better every year.”.... And it is rather nice that all visitors are allowed any time, day or night....

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