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Description
9/3/08 - Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas

Even though Cadillac Ranch was never located on Route 66, it is still worthy of mention here.

In 1973 Texas millionaire Stanley Marsh, 3 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. The group gathered ten used Cadillacs, ranging in model years from 1948 to 1963. Most of the Caddies were purchased from junkyards, averaging about $200 apiece. The cars were then buried nose-down, facing west along the old highway. Those that ran, were driven into the half-burial holes, while the rest were hoisted in. The cars were meant to represent the “Golden Age” of American automobiles and the project was completed in 1974. Soon visitors began to come from all over the world, leaving their mark on the ever-thickening graffiti covered cars.

At first, the cars retained 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 theft, however, Marsh says, “We think it looks better every year.”

In 1997, the Cadillac Ranch was exhumed and reinstalled approximately two miles west, in order to escape the encroaching city of Amarillo. Under Marsh’s orders, even the trash and clutter was gathered from the old location to be spread around the new location. Otherwise, the monument remains the same and ever changing since it was erected.

The Cadillac Ranch is located west of Amarillo on South Frontage Road, south of I-40 between Exits 60 (Armot Road) and Exit 62 (Hope Rd).

Description
9/3/08 - Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas

Even though Cadillac Ranch was never located on Route 66, it is still worthy of mention here.

In 1973 Texas millionaire Stanley Marsh, 3 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. The group gathered ten used Cadillacs, ranging in model years from 1948 to 1963. Most of the Caddies were purchased from junkyards, averaging about $200 apiece. The cars were then buried nose-down, facing west along the old highway. Those that ran, were driven into the half-burial holes, while the rest were hoisted in. The cars were meant to represent the “Golden Age” of American automobiles and the project was completed in 1974. Soon visitors began to come from all over the world, leaving their mark on the ever-thickening graffiti covered cars.

At first, the cars retained 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 theft, however, Marsh says, “We think it looks better every year.”

In 1997, the Cadillac Ranch was exhumed and reinstalled approximately two miles west, in order to escape the encroaching city of Amarillo. Under Marsh’s orders, even the trash and clutter was gathered from the old location to be spread around the new location. Otherwise, the monument remains the same and ever changing since it was erected.

The Cadillac Ranch is located west of Amarillo on South Frontage Road, south of I-40 between Exits 60 (Armot Road) and Exit 62 (Hope Rd).