Horopito, New Zealand is a pretty unremarkable farming town except for gear-heads. For those of us with a bit of 10-30 weight oil in our veins, Horopito lays claim to one of the coolest auto junk yards on the planet. Fashion these days is to use the term auto recycling to describe this type of business, but Smash Palace is truly a junk yard.  

 The vintage rusted heaps as far as the eye can see outside are almost topped by the warren of passageways on the stuffy second floor of the headquarters building crammed with parts inside. Hoods, steering wheels, hubcaps endlessly shelved and hanging. 

Nothing is marked, We met Bernie who lives on site and on sleepless nights roams this warren in his boxers, a camping headlight affixed to his head, searching for the errant old Hudson footplate, or whatever.  

Bernie proudly reported that at age 60 he’s found his dream job, working 3 days a week at Smash Palace.

Cindy gamely hung with me as I shot picture after picture, saying “Oh my gosh, ya gotta see this…” 

As we left Bernie, I asked him what the Hudson footplate might be sold for, his reply “Oh no, we won’t sell that, it’s destined for our planned museum and conference center”.

I have a feeling that once a car or part is interred at Smash Palace, there’s no getting out.