The average age of a car registered in the United States is about 12 years. Past that point, the more tired ones that no longer pass inspections or aren’t worth keeping on the road usually end up in a junkyard where they spend weeks waiting for mechanics, enthusiasts or thrifty commuters to pull what they need.

When there’s nothing left, they’re fed to a crusher that flattens them like a pancake. Most mass-produced cars are later mass-destroyed; the new car market would collapse otherwise. We recently visited a few yards in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City and brought a camera along to highlight the weird, the nearly extinct, the usual suspects and the hidden surprises.