Eerie Images of Abandoned Cars in Leafy Graveyard

German photographer Dieter Klein travels the world to find vintage automobiles left to rust in leafy forests and fields.

The mysterious graveyards host a range of cars, including a rare Jaguar XK120, which, if restored, could be worth £82,000, and a fleet of vehicles used by the Allies in the Second World War.

The cars, often with doors, tires or windows missing, are parked on the forest floor as nature reclaims them.

Dieter, 57, from Cologne, first came across a Citroen truck that had been dumped in a bush six years ago.

After witnessing how the foliage had grown in and around the man-made machine, Dieter was hooked and began to track down other unusual resting places.

He said: “In Belgium I came across a place with about 250 cars, untouched in a little wood.

“The place was founded by the Allies after WW2. They left these cars in a little wood, but they did not take them when they went back home.”

Other graveyards are not as rich in history but make for eerie and stunning places to explore.

Dieter said: “While in many cases I cannot retrace the history of the vessels, some sites are more discernible and conspicuous than others.

“In Sweden, for instance, I visited a car yard where vehicles had been disassembled during the 1950s.

“Because the site stood a mere two miles from Norwegian border, the car parts were then taken piece-by-piece over into the neighbouring country, where the importation of whole cars was forbidden.

“The automobiles were reassembled - this was not prohibited.

“Only 30 miles from my hometown, Cologne, I discovered a special collection.

“A car dealer had a funny idea. When he turned 50 in 2000 he arranged 50 cars from 1950 as a sculpture park in his garden and made a big party.

“Some friends got really angry when they saw, for instance, an extraordinary Jaguar XK120 left alone on purpose.

“In restored condition this car could fetch $120,000 (£82,000).”