It was a private museum, which had been closed for many years.
A group of teenagers broke into an old building, Rio Grande do Sul Brazil. They found a large collection of vintage cars covered in dust. The children recorded their adventures and shared them through a WhatsApp group. It has now become a Police matter.
These vehicles belonged to a collector, who kept a private museum. There was also a technical library, parts for the machines and even a reconstruction from an old coffee shop.
Rare vehicles were found on wooden planks, which appeared to be ready for collapse. There was an Austin A90 Atlantic coupe/convertible, Chrysler Airflow and 1938 and 1940 Ford coupes. Also, there was a 1951 Ford van and Standard Vanguard.
The museum was closed to the public. It was only open to collectors and close friends of its owner until the 1990s or 2000s. The owner eventually locked the doors. The twins that were heirs wanted to keep the collection, while the other wanted to sell it all.
Storming the Castle
The place became abandoned over time. The land became overgrown with bushes, and dust began to collect on the cars. A group of 10 teenagers aged around 15 decided it was time for them to invade the private property.
They broke into the collection without any ceremony and got in the cars. They were thrilled at their “discovery” and cried. They decided to record everything and share the images via WhatsApp, instead of keeping it secret. The police arrived on the scene the next day and were in touch with the parents of the children.
The owners were alerted and have taken the cars to another place. The Fiat 124 Sport Coupe was washed and offered for sale at R$65,000 ($12 372 at current exchange rates). The truck took the Citroen Dauphine and Citroen Ds from the site.
One bright spot in this situation is that the new owners can take some of these cars to car shows and return them to the streets.