Barn finds can be bitter-sweet, a mixed bag of emotions. On one hand, they may be a reason for elation to find a rare classic car in good condition left in a barn. But sometimes, finding a rare muscle car abandoned and left to the elements to the point of no salvation can cause heartbreak.

However, regardless of the condition of the cars, stumbling upon a barn full of 50 abandoned cars, sometimes 100 or even 700 cars, will excite any enthusiast.

We have compiled a list of the 10 biggest barn finds and collections of abandoned cars found in the 21st century. Some of these collections include collectible JDMs, rare American classics, powerful muscle cars, as well as European sports cars.

How we selected these barn finds: These barn finds and collections include American classics, muscle cars, and European sports cars which were discovered after 2001, making this a list of the largest collections of abandoned or preserved vehicles found in the 21st century. The list ranks these barn finds by the number of cars that were discovered from least to most.

10 Vintage Volkswagens Abandoned In A Mine: 30+ Cars

Notable Volkswagen Cars Parked In A Swiss Mine

• VW Beetle 1300, 1302, 1303
• Volkswagen Golf Mk 1 and Mk 2
• VW Golf 2 Plus Ultra (exclusive Swiss model)

You can find abandoned cars in various places, but it is extremely strange to find a boatload of them stashed in an abandoned mine in the Swiss Alps. The YouTube channel, Exploring the Unbeaten Path, who explore abandoned places around the world, traveled to Switzerland to explore a defunct mine that is known to be home to multiple Volkswagen models.

After exploring the tunnels that span seven miles, spread over three floors, the team eventually found the stash of abandoned cars when they spotted the first VW Beetle. The section of the mine is littered with examples of various Volkswagens, from Beetles to Polos, Golfs, and Passat models. Looking at the state of the cars, they seem to be in great shape as they are not exposed to natural elements.

However, as the place is an open secret in the region, evidence of people stealing and sourcing VW parts is quite apparent. The mine is not just home to classic VW models, some with over 280,000 miles, but also a handful of modern VW Golfs and Beetles from around 10 years ago.

Strangely, all the cars still have their keys. The fleet of Volkswagens abandoned in the Swiss mine raises more questions than it answers. While the internet has many theories about why those cars have been parked there, none of the theories are seemingly conclusive.

9 Three Sisters Inherit Gorgeous Classic Cars – 40 Cars

Notable Cars Three Sisters Have Inherited

• Chevrolet Camaro SS Cowl Induction
• 1964/65 Ford Mustang 289
• 454 Malibu SS Chevelle

Hagerty's Barn Find Hunter found a collection of around 40 classic American cars stashed in a warehouse close to Marine Park, Brooklyn, New York. The story goes that the owner of this collection of 40 cars set up two buildings in which he stored his cars. He recently passed away, leaving the entire collection for his three daughters to inherit.

While some of the cars have mold in the interior, nearly all the cars are preserved really well and are in good drivable condition. The 10-acre property includes some gems like the Indy 500 Camaro Z28 Pace Car with just 437 miles on the odometer. Another interesting car in the collection is a Chevrolet Camaro SS Cowl Induction, as well as a 454 Malibu SS Chevelle and a Ford Mustang 289.

8 Mike Sperber's Sports Car Collection – 45 Cars

Notable Cars In Mike Sperber's Collection In Virginia

• Volkswagen Rabbit GTI Mk1
• 1956 Porsche 1600 Cabriolet
• 1984 E24 BMW 633 CSI 5-speed manual

In Reedville, Virginia, Hagerty's Barn Find Hunter finds a collection of around 45 cars that are soon to find a new home. Tom Cotter meets Mike, the new owner of this collection, who bought it from an individual in Richmond, Virginia. Mike highlights that the current goal is to move all the cars to a new location. This spectacular barn houses some amazing American and European sports cars.

The collection includes a litter of Volkswagen Rabbit hatchbacks as well as pickup trucks, and even a Rabbit GTI Mk1. In addition, Mike and Tom explore the barn further to find a few Porsche Speedsters, a 1956 Porsche 1600 Cabriolet, a 1984 Porsche 911, a BMW 633 CSI 5-speed manual, a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 250 along with a highly original Mercedes-Benz 280 SL 4-speed, among many more.

7 Detroit Historical Society's Backroom – 50+ Cars

Notable Cars In The Detroit Historical Society's Backroom

• Macauly PanAm Packard Concept
• 1963 Ford Mustang II (1 of 1)
• 1913 Scripps-Booth Bi-Autogo (1 of 1)

The Detroit Historical Society has over 275,000 artifacts packed in a back room, among which are a collection of 50 to 60 unique automobiles and all of them are closed to the public. Hagerty's Tom Cotter, the Barn Find Hunter, takes us behind the scenes to show the scale of the operation.

The building it is stored in is an old army manufacturing facility built in 1942. Now it is home to around 50 unique cars, stored in climate-controlled capsules to preserve their condition.

Among the collection, the backroom of the museum has an extremely rare Cadillac Station Wagon concept car, which is 1 of only 2 ever made, in addition to the Macauly PanAm Packard Concept. The most interesting vehicle is the 1913 Scripps-Booth Bi-Autogo which is a two-wheeled V8 powered car, and it is the only one in existence.

But the cars that really caught Tom's eye were the Ford Cougar II (Cobra) and the first-ever and only example of a 1963 Ford Mustang II. While the collection is closed to the public, the Detroit Historical Society does invite members once a year for a sneak peek.

6 Biggest Muscle Car Barn Find in History – 100+ Cars

Notable Cars In The Mopar Graveyard

• 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner
• 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda
• 1969 Dodge Coronet

This barn find comes courtesy of the YouTube channel, Hauntworld - Creepy Attractions, which calls this collection Mopar Graveyard. In the middle of nowhere near Saint Louis, Missouri, Rich is the owner of a collection of over 100 Mopar cars in varying conditions. Among the hundreds of cars, the host finds multiple examples of Plymouth Hemi 'Cudas, Dodge Coronets, Hemi Challengers, Chargers, Super Bees, and even 440 6 Pack Roadrunners.

Littered around the property are countless Dodge and Plymouth parts as well as many 426 Hemi motors. It is possibly the largest Mopar collection found in a barn. The owner, Rich, saved these cars from a junkyard which was to send them to a shredder.

While Rich has a restoration shop, he plans to sell some of the cars, as well as restore the ones he can. However, that might be a tall order as most cars have been parked in the open for over 30 or 40 years.

5 Classic Cars Abandoned In A Warehouse In London – 175 Cars

Notable Cars In The Warehouse Near London

• Mercedes-Benz 280 SL R107
• Porsche 911 964 Cabriolet
• BMW 2002

In a YouTube video by TFJJ, he reveals an amazing barn find in London which consists of around 175 cars. A majority of the cars are German, mostly BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Porsche models. TFJJ claims that some of the cars were put on sale online and that mostly all the cars ran when they were parked in the warehouse. While the precise location is still a mystery, it is said that the warehouse is near London, England.

This collection includes multiple examples of Mercedes-Benz SL models, a Porsche 911 964 Cabriolet, a Mercedes-Benz 280 SL R107, VW Beetles, multiple British sports cars and roadsters like the MGB GT, and a Triumph Stag.

Among the off-roaders in the collection, there are a few vintage and modern Land Rovers, as well as an extremely cool 3-door Mercedes-Benz G-wagon. However, one of the more valuable cars in the collection is a BMW 2002.

4 Massive Portuguese Warehouse Full Of Abandoned Cars – 180 Cars

Notable Cars In The Portuguese Warehouse

• 1960s Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider
• 1970s Mini Mark III
• Porsche 356 Type A

A photographer stumbled upon a warehouse in Portugal and found it was home to over 180 cars that have been stored for over 30 years. The photographer promised the owner to keep the precise location a secret. However, he did reveal that it belonged to a former vintage car dealer who parked rare and unique vehicles in that barn.

The owner allegedly closed his dealership in the late '70s or '80s, and the cars have been sitting where they were parked since. While there are no specific details about the cars, we can see some amazing examples of European classics, like Alfa Romeos, Lancias, Porsches, Minis, and even a few open-wheel race cars. A few cars are beaten up, but most are still in pristine condition. However, none of them are up for sale.

3 AMC Collier Motors Abandoned Dealership – 200 Cars

Notable Abandoned Cars In The AMC Collier Motors Dealership

• 1974 AMC Javelin 360 V8
• 1968 Nash Ambassador
• 1980s AMC Eagle Wagon 4x4

Hagerty's Barn Find Hunter, Tom Cotter, returned to the expansive AMC Collier Motors Abandoned Dealership after 15 years. He meets Rob and Doug Collier, who explain that their collection of over 200 AMC cars on their property is a result of the family's AMC dealership from 1955, which sold Nash models at the time.

While the dealership stopped selling cars in the early 80s, the family's collection was left in the open on the property and includes some interesting examples from AMC's history. Doug first shows a 1974 AMC Javelin with a 360 V8 which was his personal car left by his father. Other notable cars in the collection include a 1986 Nash Ambassador, 4x4 versions of the AMC Eagle and Wagons, in addition to a Team Highball Racing AMG Pacer.

Doug even shows Tom a Nash Ambassador Custom which has been locked in a barn for over 61 years. However, the condition of all the cars seems worse for wear. Being left out in the open for all these years, saving any of them will be extremely difficult.

2 Terry Gale's Rambler Ranch, Colorado – 700+ Cars

Notable Cars Found At Terry Gale's Rambler Ranch

• 1956 Nash Rambler Cross Country
• 1950 Nash Ambassador
• Pink 1964–1966 Ford Thunderbird

Tom Cotter, the Barn Find Hunter on Hagerty's YouTube channel, finds himself at Terry Gale's Rambler Ranch in Colorado and reveals the holy grail of barn finds. At the Rambler Ranch, Tom claims over 700 cars are possibly parked on the property. The ranch has 66 AMC Eagles, among which is a four-wheel-drive model in an extremely rare spec, as there are only 2 in the world of its kind.

Tom also found a beautiful Buick Wildcat Convertible with 70,000 miles. A pink Ford Thunderbird caught Tom's eye, but so did a 1956 Nash Rambler Cross Country, with air-conditioning, which was a rare option for the model. Next to it was a 1950 Nash Ambassador two-door coupe, which is the only 2-door on the property. This has to be one of the craziest collections found by Tom, the Barn Find Hunter.

While Terry Gale's Rambler Ranch is filled with American classics, the owner also has quite a few European classic cars from Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo, and even Peugeot. Looking at the great condition, most of the cars were kept well and preserved. This shows that this collection was created because of the love of the automobile.

1 Fukushima Exclusion Zone - Number Of Cars Unknown

Collection Of Cars Abandoned In The Fukushima Exclusion Zone, Japan

• Porsche 911 Carrera 964
• 1989 Nissan 300ZX
• Nissan Silvia S15

In 2011, the tragic nuclear disaster in Japan at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear power station exploded following a 9.1 magnitude earthquake in the region. As a consequence of the radiation that leaked from the power plant, it created a large exclusion zone and is estimated to have evacuated and displaced over 150,000 people.

The YouTube channel - Exploring the Unbeaten Path - ventured into the exclusion zone to reveal that when people were evacuated, they left their lives behind. However, the video focuses on all the amazing cars that were abandoned by the Fukushima residents, which is quite eye-opening.

While we may never know the number of cars that have been abandoned in the region, there are quite a few interesting JDMs, German cars, and American classics all left behind. Among the massive number of Japanese Kei cars and trucks, the video shows Nissan Skylines, a Honda S2000, a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, Subaru Impreza STI models, a Chevrolet Impala SS, a modified Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and even a 964 Porsche 911 Carrera.

Some of these cars are left at dealerships, some in driveways and parking lots, open fields and even in the middle of the road. As these cars have been exposed to radiation, it is said that they will be crushed and scrapped because of safety concerns.