Deep in Texas, a long-forgotten automotive treasure has resurfaced. We’re talking about an abandoned car museum sealed off from the public for over a decade. Inside, like a time capsule, sits a stunning collection of vintage vehicles and rare racing icons, including a Ford GT40, widely regarded as one of the most important race cars ever built.
The astonishing discovery, captured in a video by Stinger Media on YouTube, has quickly ignited excitement among car enthusiasts. The museum was the brainchild of Tom Mitchell, a visionary businessman who, back in the 1970s, created the Circle Bar Truck Corral, a site that included a motel, an RV park, and a retail store. Alongside his ventures, Mitchell developed a deep passion for motorsports, sponsoring NASCAR drivers and Indy 500 competitors.
Over time, he assembled a private collection of race cars and meticulously restored classics, which he proudly displayed in his museum. When Mitchell passed away in 2014, the property was sold and the museum was shut down, leaving everything inside untouched: trophies, photographs, racing helmets, historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway tickets, and, of course, the cars that told the story of his lifelong love for racing.
Over the years, the site remained largely untouched, evolving into a forgotten shrine of American motorsport. Among the highlights are the legendary GT40, a Shelby Cobra, a restored Ford Bronco, and several other race cars once tied to Mitchell’s teams. Dust and cobwebs now cover much of the collection, with some vehicles sitting on flat tires while others rest on lifts, frozen in time. Remarkably, the building itself has shielded the cars from serious damage, preserving their essence despite decades of neglect.
Beyond cars, the property also holds motocross bikes, ATVs, and even boats, reflecting Mitchell’s broad devotion to anything with an engine. Yet the future of the collection remains uncertain.
Without proper preservation, even masterpieces like the Ford GT40 and the Cobra could suffer irreversible decay. Behind those locked doors lies an authentic fragment of America’s racing heritage, waiting to be rediscovered, or lost forever.
