LEFT BEHIND
‘Traffic jam forest’ filled with abandoned cars including 1953 Pontiac & iconic Fords ditched by troops in ‘golden era’
Watch footage of tourists exploring the eerie graveyard of classic cars
HUNDREDS of cars abandoned by soldiers were left to rot in a forest in Belgium for decades.
The small Belgian town of Châtillon had four sprawling car graveyards with 500 rusting vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s.
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Deep in the woods, classic Pontiac Chieftains and Ford Thunderbirds were slowly claimed by nature.
A long line of abandoned cars ran through woodland appearing like a traffic jam - with rusting bonnets and dented bumpers strewn across the forest.
It's believed the graveyards started to emerge at the end of World War Two when US soldiers - unable to afford to ship their cars home - dumped them in the forest.
Others believe Canadian troops stationed at bases near Châtillon in the mid-1950s then left more vehicles in the forest.
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The time is referred to as a "golden era" for the area - with the troops bringing lots of cash and large American cars.
At its height, it's thought there were around 500 motors scattered around Châtillon - one of the oldest villages in Belgium - and in the forest.
Urban explorers discovered a jackpot of classic cars when they visited the forest.
A 1953 Ponticac Chieftainm Renault Dauphine, Studebaker Champion and a Ford Thunderbird were found buried in mud and shrubbery.
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But the last of the graveyards were cleared in 2010.
Collectors were flocking to take parts for salvage and souvenirs - and a court order saw the cars cleared out for environmental reasons.
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But plenty of eerie photos remain - and some car parts are thought to still be hidden in the woodland.
It comes after a family discovered a vintage car graveyard in their late grandad's warehouse.
Royce Kershaw Junior had a forgotten train and a penny-farthing stashed away amongst his prized possessions.
The hidden fortune was unveiled by his loved one's after deciding it was time to trawl through his belongings.
Inside the old warehouse, they found 50 classic cars - with most of them being classic American models.
Elsewhere, a collection of stunning vintage vehicles was discovered in a remote woodland by an urban explorer, who posted the footage to YouTube.
Some of the cars in the area were so rare that mint-condition models can only be found in museums.
And a stunning collection of abandoned classic cars was also discovered in the grounds of an old mansion.
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Scott Chivers, who goes by the name of Ratarossa on YouTube, was given exclusive access to the "car graveyard" by the owner of the property.
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