Investigating an “Abandoned” Japanese Dealership Frozen in Time

Adopt a Mini Mr Sheep!
effspotshop.myshopify.com/

[@effspot]

Adopt a Mini Mr Sheep! effspotshop.myshopify.com/

[@mr.iforgot3062]

My boyfriend Todd thinks your the bees knees.

[@pmuringer]

Hello. This is an active business run by a man whose family owns the building and cars. He buys and sells car from an office in the back and he lives upstairs in an apartment in the back. I have met him several times and have toured the inside. Amazing collection of vehicles. This is not a collection of abandoned vehicles. The man also has driven his Ferrari in the Suzuka drivers parade.

[@DiamondMounter]

Japan is like that. I know of a collection of 12 classic Toyotas that you may mistake for abandoned but actually they just stay behind the owners business

[@alexdenhartog3741]

Where is this dealership ?

[@robinpelletstovesuk9194]

Its in GIFU? if so, I met him also in 1995 and saw his collection or hoard I should say. Les Leston stuff and Renault Alpines etc etc

[@deosiewilson732]

Good info..... I was thinking some squatters were in there ....a

[@KnexJunkie]

Actively i doubt google says its permanently closed stil sad to see things sit there so long that its rusting / rotting away. also any day things sit there things gone lose value until theres nothing left and thats the cars outside i wonder what things can stil be saved (most cars inside the shop look better). But yeah it looks like a old treasure vault i dont know how long the owner stil has on this earth but i would hope he sees he cant keep this forever in this state. so many nice and vintage stuf there. also a lot of things can be fixed with new owners if he would sell some stuf. + maybe keep something he realy wants himself in good conidition with the funds he gets if he would do that. But i geusse money issent realy the issue for the owner.

[@Auto.Anorak]

Can’t get enough of Effspot abandoned content. Excited for this one!!!

[@aztroooo]

That “abandoned” shop gotta have some good barn finds and memorabilia

[@poplaurentiu4148]

Petition for Red 1974 Maserati Merak /Bora at 5:40 is looking in such a poor state.. must be saved otherwise is !

[@traxnada]

Hi, ProAuto isn't abandoned... The owner is a big renown collector here in Japan. I am lucky enough to have actually met him and I might be the only foreigner to have visited the place lol... His personal history is the reason why the place is like it is now... He's aware of it and tries his best with some help to get things "fixed". What you see on the outside there is nothing compared to what's inside and at other locations that he owns...

[@zyberworld]

I'd love to contact you sometime. Just subbed to your channel but I don't see any other socials/contact info.

[@robinpelletstovesuk9194]

I also visited in 1995...and I am a Guyjin

[@Motorsportsinjapan]

I concur

[@traxnada]

@@robinpelletstovesuk9194 but it was a normal dealership back then right?

[@Hotlog69]

More like, "The owner is a big infamous hoarder here in Japan."

[@monsterinfamous6267]

5:50 - 5:59 The Mazda Carol 1962 & Lotus Europa From Gran Turismo 4 ! 😲 !

[@Kigoz4Life]

flying harry potter looking ahhh cars

[@patchesohoulihan9826]

When in Japan in 2004, we drove by that dealership, and a few people were outside. We didn't stop as we were afraid of getting in trouble for trespassing. Friend was in the Marines and had a bunch of leave, and we went with him to buy a car from a guy he was once stationed with.

Great video! What a find. I should add that not all classic Minis are ‘Mini Coopers’ despite common misconception. The Coopers were the sports model and are actually quite rare. The majority of the Minis in this video and just standard Minis, they could be Austin, Morris, Leyland or Rover. The funky red car inside is a Mini based kit car called a Marcos. It was sold as a kit car utilizing a fibreglass/GRP Monocoque with running gear & subframes from a Mini. It had some good success in international motorsport, including running at the 24 hours of Le Mans.

[@adamweston4152]

It drives me nuts when Americans call all minis "Cooper's" , educate yourselves.

[@iamatlantis1]

we found the Mini guy

[@RaceRelm]

Did some research on the "abandoned dealer" and found a thread where a guy personally knew the owner and said its still a operating biasness that buys and sells old classic cars but most of his cars aren't usually for sale sadly!

[@Kidsinamerica]

Everything is for-sale. Cash is king.

[@Hotlog69]

What exactly has been sold? It's literally bursting at the seams. Dust is everywhere. The ceiling has stains from a roof, which, I would assume has leaking engines on top of.

[@UpUpDnDnLtRtLtRtBAStart]

I think some of us are starting to have Sauce Angeles withdrawals. 😅 The weather is nice these days in Cali. Surely there's some great shenanigans to be captured.

[@effspot]

Stay tuned, the next video is going to be pretty ridiculous

[@FunkyKong2020]

​@@effspot trust me im staying tuned lol

[@user-ie5by5bs3e]

I went inside Pro Auto last year. There were rare cars inside, such as the Miura, 250 Testarossa, and Ferrari 275GTB. Until a few years ago, there was an F40 and three Miuras.

[@user-ie5by5bs3e]

There's probably only one 250 Testarossa in Japan.

[@Jvap35]

Are they in good shape or rotting away?

[@speedeespeedboi9527]

Wow a random maserati merak

[@thosdot6497]

An even more random Iso Lele behind it.

[@sebastianhuber8158]

Every time that u post I smile. This trip has been amazing really good content 👏

[@mindjal19]

i'm not into bags but man that lobby Countach is soo good

[@michaelkim3432]

You gotta get access to that "abandoned" building and give us a tour!!

[@MrH2S]

Awesome video, I wanna find Abandoned places like that, I did find a Chevy Bel Air from the 50´s in a Barn in USA last month :) But this way crazy place, would Love to get inside to Explore. Thanks for sharing. Thumb up. 🙂

[@thejosedrive]

really interesting , great video effspot as always !

[@alexrekzu4079]

6:52 🩹

[@DavesClassicGarageToursV2]

great tour

[@MegaRetr]

Awesome video, I wanna find Abandoned places like that))

[@themrgumbatron]

that auto grave yard is fascinating! I would love to visit one day.

[@imnowhacko]

Wow, Iso Lele at 8:32

[@ribtips305]

5:32 is when the subject that brought you here starts

[@davide8641]

im gonna need a storytime video on that car memorabilia etc shop!

[@202supra]

Wow, I would buy all those minis in a heart beat.

[@jdmimportlogistics]

Epic video! Yes was thinking the same thing Maserati Marek and a Lambo Uuraco?

[@kentwalker1496]

This could be a KZbin channel on it's own. Imagine a weekly series on your findings including the history.

[@kavinskysmith4094]

best guess given the cars it was an export import dealership that exported cars to and from england given their both right hand drive, although the controls are reversed when it comes to the stalks, as japan has it where we have it, UK has it turned around although its weird that the maserati bora is just sitting out infront, but theft is considered dishonorable to the japanease, unless its by the Yakuza hence why you have mini mokes, a rolls royce, a vintage mercedes just around, like if you know the city councel, or someone in that area that controls the business districts, you could ask them what the status is of the dealership and if any of it is for sale or even the police for that matter, as that officer seemed quite reasonable and also Japanease mini's were a really big thing over there, as I remember that being a thing before might car mods sold out as theirs some good money in that dealership, especially if you could get it exported back to england and the only fake car in that lot is the beck porsche 550 like spider sitting there, the rest look real, well maybe not the alpine, that thing is sitting too high and flared, like its sitting on a VW chassis and the wheels look like typical VW dune buggy fair,

[@SkillMasters-vy2lo]

Amazing work

[@electricblade3]

That proauto place i remember randomly stumbling across it when i was on google earth always wanted more angles of it

[@marcbaur677]

6:30 its an Autobianchi A 112, not a Mini Cooper.

[@marcher987]

yo effspot love ur vids wanted to say that go to ultrace 2024 they gonna have some sick cars there

[@Andrew-vx2ls]

This helps us define what "classic car collectors" really are: folks who hoard cars to pretend to be well off, but who are so cash strapped, the cars do not actually get used. There are a few exceptions (Jay Leno and a few others), but when anyone boasts "I have 50 cars", ask them: "how many are actually used / usable" ?"

[@idonjohnson6999]

Talk about a zen like showroom 😮

[@ciremai303]

6:58 looks like wheels from an old Lotus F1 car, like from the 1960s

[@motorclaimguru]

What a garage that is ! wowsers... there is some very special stuff there, the a110 is one such item

[@rf615]

5:34 that thing looked like those old Melkus RS1000 Racecars from DDR

[@bool7994]

Good video but, @9:30 what is with that wiring just running out from under the fusebox door and tucked underneath the carpet? Its not much effort to remove the underdash and kickpanel and run it properly.

[@owenjackson2390]

That's a well known area on street view, I love that place

[@ethancampbell6076]

8:28 That’s one of the most important aspects was the Merak correct me if I’m wrong.

[@jamesfranklin2203]

There used to be two Lotus Europa on the left of the Renault Minivan, one of them has been moved to the right

[@MissouriMatt54]

Thank you for the video.

[@henriksti2]

Imagine the value of a property that size in what looks like a corner of a main street in Japan. Not even mentioning the crap inside, just the propriety lot. That's A LOT of money wasting away in time right there

[@thecraiglett1]

Property in Rural Japan is nowhere near as valuable as most people imagine. Houses can be bought for next to nothing

[@henriksti2]

@@thecraiglett1 nowhere in the world a propriety like this one of the video is cheap. Multiple store buildings on street corners lol

[@SkillMasters-vy2lo]

Good work

[@ianray8823]

Hot damn this had SO MANY THINGS TO LOOK AT AHHH

[@Motorsportsinjapan]

Sadly there is no shortage of places like this here in Japan.

[@ThePeoplesChamp213]

Man you should have brought a RAD detector with you. Seems like those may have been brought in from Fukashima.

[@NiStPhoto]

6:30 that is Autobianchi A112, not a Mini :D

[@bjornborges9858]

Red Maserati @8:28

[@patricks8144]

Japan content recently has been👌👌 👌

[@TheMrandres6969]

What car is the red one with gullwing doors at 5:33 ?

[@1ohmwrecker]

It's like watching hoarders, but w kinda cool stuff lol.

[@Hotlog69]

Where's that lady that asks, "Does this bring you joy?" 😂

[@17713bb]

Rather certain that I sat in that Dome Zero decades ago. It was so small, I couldn't actually sit up. And I can sit in most anything. Lotus Europa as an example. The Japanese model at the car show did her best to discourage me. Yet, she was incapable of actually telling me NO.

[@explorer909]

1:57 - F.Y.I. The only kit on that Lamborghini Countach are the wheels and tires. Everything else is stock. That's a 25th Anniversary Edition. The American version has a slightly different bumper in front and rear from that one.

[@rideodie---g2382]

Nice vid.. Slacked on getten in that building but still respect.. give us an adventure du

[@thomasprochaska5083]

05:41...that's a Maserati Merak!!! How can you let a car like that rot like that???? Incomprehensible. Some “people” really have too much money!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@daveh2612]

It’s mental illness

[@ImpureAchilles115]

From effspot abroad to now detective effspot. These are the videos I live for.

[@muke001]

It's like Computer Reset, but with cars

[@Hotlog69]

Another hoard that needs to be cleared up? They should take reservations for visitors to buy whatever they want!

[@Schlipperschlopper]

Sadly soon all combustion cars and trucks including classics will be banned from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-( In Germany the Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025 on by reducing all conventional fuel stations to only one state operated central gas station per city or county. Car washs will be forbidden too because they are climate killers, now they want to slow down all the gas station pumps from 20 litre per minute to 2 litre per minute...From 2027 on in the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as exhaust systems, turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox oils...California and New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no investments should be done in oil burning cars any longer....They even created a new kind of crime here, called emissions and smoke crime.!!! (BABVVEN & TEBBVEN & BEFVO laws)!!!!

[@preciseaudioblog]

2:47 No car can top that one

[@Pilot_Nomar]

7:35 💀

[@lucasrem]

This could be a Europe Car Cycling, most are old Euro cars. You need a 2CV Citroen in Japan, you need him !

[@robinpelletstovesuk9194]

Why are you in a UK plated Porsche in Japan? and is that old garage in GIFU? think I went there in 1996 and met the owner.

[@MrCarGuy]

Hope someone can find the owner of the old dealership for a tour

[@rych7852]

Woah, Mr Penfold shipped his car out to Japan? Thats lunacy! 🤣🤣

[@dapanzipapacompactcarslab3445]

10:30 what's that kumamon?

[@MaxChrisinJapan]

Hey brother I live over here Pro Auto is permanently closed to the public ,it's a privately owned collection. I won't disclose the location don't worry

[@infernalmachine8417]

The location isn’t a secret Searching Proauto Japan on google earth is quite easy

[@DavidFerreira-cb2rd]

Fukujima cars?

[@V8-friendly]

Any Toyota V12 Crowns?

[@user-nj1ob8ht3p]

that minicooper is an autobianchi a112

[@Roy-cm1bh]

Anywhere else in the world, that Proauto place would be stripped clean for sure. Amazing place 👍

[@spamanator666]

5:31 to skip to the good stuff.

[@tomasfinkelman]

6:20 Rolls-Royce Silver cloud or Bentley S Type 1955-1962

[@user-lu3kw3jv1r]

The red car in the abandoned dealership is a rare abarth

[@danielhillier7417]

I'd love to be super rich and just be able to buy those buildings with all the contents. So many cool things hiding inside I'm sure. Plus you would be able to save some cars.

[@Hotlog69]

"Not for sale! Gonna fix them all up and drive them each around Japan. It's been my life long dream."

[@MiataManDan]

Effspot can you please restock mr sheep

[@DJ-RASH]

Very interesting! 😎🤙❤ Cheers Switzerland

[@rkjd1368]

Weird enough that blue thing in 6:07 is in fact a Renault Express from 1990, wtf is it doing in Japan

[@Lancaster7]

That place with the abandoned cars .

[@mudbaymountain328]

That volvo is a pv 544 😊

[@ChaNnArD-mD]

If this was in America it would be looted in 2 hours.

[@AFExploration]

seems strange to import cayman from the uk to japan ?

[@Hotlog69]

Lots of foreign nationals will bring their cars with them.

[@haleohanamalama2967]

Grave yard? or Treasure island?

[@mikeyerke3920]

Why does it look like the tires are the wrong size for the wheels on those cars?

[@pmuringer]

For security and privacy the exact location of Pro auto will not be disclosed.

[@playvintage]

Europa... is classic

[@ronniewood2325]

Sure looks like a "Vector" to me

[@ruxrox]

Start listing.

[@davidbarnsley8486]

All those fdm minis 😢😢

[@bubbafatas2588]

The white porsche looks ridiculous!

[@mr.iforgot3062]

The exhaust pipes are sexy you guys.❤ I love the shaft length and the girth is perfect.❤

[@pittypatterputzzler5311]

Misha Charoudin is a person you should get in touch with. I always promote channels vice versa and for free. just like to see people prosper from the algorithm. Misha knows people that build custom race cars that can run easily in to a million that are purely art. I hope I could do a connection.

[@lancraft]

This guy is oblivious to the Maserati Merak staring him in the face.

[@joshmills8699]

was there a lambo Espada in the hoard? swear I saw one In the video

[@gerijokub7737]

No, that was Iso Lele, which is much rarer (285 built in total)

[@douchedidit9222]

Bro he had the stig in that building 😂

[@lenno9794]

that caspita really resembles the carrera gt imo

[@rahulsudhir666]

It looks like a weird cross between the Carrera GT n XJ220

[@keithclayton1271]

Came for the cars, stayed for the majlis.

[@motorclaimguru]

That car is still showing as registered in the UK. Jiotto

[@carloslopezalcalde8490]

PROAUTO JAPAN... a MClaren F1 in the interior...🤩😮

[@PierooriginalItaly]

3:30 With those wheels they ruined Ferrari 🙈