This rather dilapidated 1951 Ford was found by the side of a North Carolina highway.  In 1949, Ford came out with its first all-new design since World War I, and the first all-new design by the so-called Big Three U.S. auto companies. The new streamlined design, which was produced through the 1951 model year, featured such changes as integrated rear fenders. In 1951 Ford offered an automatic transmission for the first time, the Ford-O-Matic.  The '51 Fords were powered by either a 3.7-liter inline 6 or a 3.9-liter flathead V-8 making 100 horsepower. (Photo by Ralph Gable)

A beaten and battered 1953 Chevrolet was found peering out of heavy overgrowth in Wilson County, North Carolina. The Chevy got a new design for '53 including the debut of a one-piece windshield. Total car production that year was 398,028. Prices started at $1,524 for a business coupe and topped out at $2,273 for a Townsman eight-passenger wagon. (Photo by Jim Meachen)

This abandoned bakery truck, which presumedly had a Ford Model T front end, made its last bread delivery decades ago and looks as if it is awaiting restoration. Photographer Jerry Brown discovered the ancient Anaconda Bakery delivery truck near Wales, Wis.

A mid-1980s Ford F-150 pickup rests nose-to-nose with a late 1970s Lincoln Continental. Both are in the process of being overrun by trees and underbrush. (Photo by Ralph Gable)

This 1957 Ford has probably been for sale for a considerable amount of time based on its condition. The Ford sedan was spotted along the side of a road in rural Kentucky south of Cincinnati. The full-size Ford was restyled for 1957 and came with six engine choices — a 3.7-liter inline 6, and 4.5-liter, 4.8-liter, 5.1-liter, 5.4-liter and 5.8-liter V-8s. Transmission choices were a three-speed manual or a two-speed or three-speed automatic. (Photo by Jim Meachen)

This 1957 Ford has probably been for sale for a considerable amount of time based on its condition. The Ford sedan was spotted along the side of a road in rural Kentucky south of Cincinnati. The full-size Ford was restyled for 1957 and came with six engine choices — a 3.7-liter inline 6, and 4.5-liter, 4.8-liter, 5.1-liter, 5.4-liter and 5.8-liter V-8s. Transmission choices were a three-speed manual or a two-speed or three-speed automatic. (Photo by Jim Meachen)

A 1955 Mercury sedan (left) and a 1951 Ford appear to be carrying on an abandoned car conversation in eastern North Carolina. Mercury shared much of its styling with the standard Lincoln in 1955. And for the first time, Ford featured an optional Ford-O-Matic 3-speed automatic transmission. (Photo by Jim Meachen)

Buick reworked and renamed its entire lineup for the 1936 model year to celebrate the engineering improvements and design advancements over the 1935 models. This is an example of a post-1935 Buick, late '30s model, which was found parked along the side of a highway in central Florida. (Photo by Jeffrey Ross)

It appears that someone "abandoned" this restoration of what looks like a 1955 Buick in stripped down guise . Note it has four VentiPorts, which denotes either the larger V-8 engine or higher trim level.  (Photo by Ralph Gable)