A farmer’s incredible collection of 250 vintage cars, tractors and other vehicles are headed for auction.
James Graham of Wheaton, Minnesota, not only tended to a variety of crops but an impressive horde of vehicles before he passed away in December at the age 88.
His love of cars started at a young age after buying a 1934 Ford coupe for prom, which he and a friend later hacked the roof off to turn into a makeshift-convertible.
From there he would go onto collect hundreds of classic vintage cars, tractors and heavy duty vehicles, some that he restored and others that he was working on.
The masses of motor-vehicles would be found after his death in five large barn buildings, some left to rust and others covered in thick layers of dust.
More than 250 cars, tractors and heavy duty vehicles were discovered at the farm of collector James Graham in Minnesota
Many were discovered caked in dirt and dust (left) in the barns, meanwhile others were beginning to rust (right)
The auction house are due to sell more than 200 of them. The collection at its peak was 500 vehicles strong
The super-sized stash of vehicles have since been cleaned-up ready to go under the hammer (above). There are more than 75 convertibles in the horde
Among the classic collection are more than 75 convertibles including a 1959 Cadillac, a 1964 Chevrolet Impala and a 1959 El Camino.
The age of the cars range from the 1920s and 1930s to classic American chrome of the booming 1950s and 1960s.
Another couple of gems include an all original 1955 Oldsmobile 88 sedan and a one-year-design 1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible, according to The Drive.
Some of the vehicles were found rotting and sinking into rocker panels while others were freshly restored and described as a ‘barn find heaven,’ according to Yahoo.
Graham was ‘always interested in collecting old cars and attending car shows,’ where he won many trophies, according to his obituary.
Graham (above) was a fan of cars from a young age, first purchasing a 1934 Ford coupe that he and a friend hacked the top off of to turn into a convertible for prom
Graham (above) took over his father’s farm five months after enrolling into the military. From there he amassed a wealth of cars, tractors and other vehicles totaling more than 500
Not only did Graham have a passion for farming but classic cars and tractors (above) many of which he restored
Graham was described as ‘always interested in collecting old cars and attending car shows’ where he won several trophies (left). He would continue to work on his father’s farm from 1952 until 2014, four years before his death
He enrolled in the United States Army in 1952 but was honorably discharged five months later after his father died.
Upon returning home he took over his family’s farming operation, which he would continue to run until the age of 84 when he was moved into a care home.
During his years he amassed more than 500 cars at one point, before reducing those numbers to just over half in later years.
A longtime friend who described him as a ‘bachelor’ and said that ‘he probably just got into a hobby and (had) nobody to shut him down on it,’ according to WDAY.
In a series of four videos his collection was unveiled by auctioneers, who showed the long barns filled nearly to the brim with rows of vehicles.
Vehicles from the 1920s and 1930s sat dust-clad in long rows inside five barns
Grahams collection incredible more than 75 convertibles (above) which were cleaned up ready to be sold off
While many of the vehicles had been restored by Graham, some clearly needed a little more TLC and restoration work (above)
The 1934 Ford coupe Graham (above) took to prom after sawing off it’s room with a friend
Amid the musty fields Graham’s hidden treasure troves rested in barns, his cars’ vibrant colors sat muted by dirt and dust.
Some ranged from fully-restored and roadworthy to those that will need more attention and heavy restoration work.
After cleaning them up, more than 200 will go under the hammer with Vanderbrink Auctions on Friday and Saturday.
In one clip previewing his collection, Graham was described as: ‘A wild man.’
‘There were plenty of women and wild times… but none of them caught his heart like old cars and tractors,’ the video stated.
According to his obituary he also collected whiskey cars, trains and model cars, as well as having one of the largest collections of painted plates in the country.