Cadillac Ranch Route 66

The Texas dust blew in the wind as we approached The Cadillac Ranch along Route 66. We walked by a tour bus parked crookedly along the side of the road. It was nestled between haphazardly placed vehicles along the street. Looking out into the field at this random roadside feature I could hear an old man voice in my head, “Ya know what a guy could do?” This was quite an inventive display.

The Cadillac Ranch
West of Armarillo, Texas

The first time I heard about The Cadillac Ranch was three years ago. My friend, Carmen, came to my second grade classroom with cans of spray paint. (I was the appointed collector of Route 66 gifts for our fellow teacher’s retirement party.) I raised my eyebrows as Carmen fit the cans into the gift basket. “Oh,” she noted my wonderment, “there are Cadillac cars half way buried in a Texas field. You can spray paint them.” Carmen nodded at her explanation.

Retired teachers creating graffiti. Huh? I had difficulty making a mental picture, but it brought a smile to my face.

*I was thrilled to actually see this display in person.*

Three years after learning about this monument, of sorts, I was ready for an up-close look-see! From here we could smell the spray paint fumes drifting over the plains.

*Spray cans and tops littered the ground. There wasn’t a garbage bin in sight.*

Out in the middle of a soil packed field stood ten Cadillac automobiles, fin side up. There were no gift shops, bathrooms or even lined parking spaces. It was strangely desolate, yet these vehicles had sunbaked layers of paint sliding off their exterior. This provided evidence that MANY ‘artists’ have visited the display.

*The layers of spray paint were sliding down like a slow motion wave.*

Gravity had a hold on these sunbaked layers of paint.

The History of The Cadillac Ranch

Stanley Marsh III, an Amarillo millionaire, was a silent partner in this array. He owned the land and wanted a piece of jaw dropping public art placed at the site. Stanley hired a group to help create ‘awe in the eye of beholders.’ A troop of artists from San Francisco, “The Ant Farm,” were brought in to fulfill Stanley’s dream.

The Ant Farm decided to showcase the evolution of the Cadillac’s tail fin. In 1974 the collection of ten vehicles were placed at the same angle as the Great Pyramid of Giza. They face west starting with a 1949 Club Sedan and ending with a 1963 Sedan de Ville.

*Guests at the ranch have even been spray painting for decades, even the soil.*

The ten ‘monuments’ represent America’s desires for commerce and materialism through the post war era. The 1950’s was a decade of fun and folly. Overtime visitors have helped themselves to “souvenirs:” fins, bumpers, gears, switches and tires.

Stanley Marsh III and The Ant Farm group tolerated the destruction of their display. In 2011 Marsh had some legal issues and gave up this land. I was unable to find out who owns it now, but the traditions continue. . .

I learned that there was a 1996 comedy film, “The Cadillac Ranch” featuring three sisters’ trip to the ranch to find the money their father had hidden for them.

On September 9, 2019 someone lit one of the cars on fire. News reporters interviewed a local commissioner, Leon Church, who was thankful that it had rained recently otherwise the fire could have spread. Brian Thomas, the Potter County Sheriff, encouraged anyone with knowledge of the incident to report it to the Sheriff’s Department. I couldn’t find any resolution or arrests made. When we had been there I hadn’t seen any evidence of a burnt automobile, as it has been covered with paint.

Graffiti Time

With my color, silver, in hand I was prepared. I surveyed the line of autos, ready to choose my spot to create graffiti when I saw Chuck. He was already standing where a back window used to be. So, I decided to snap a photo as his design would soon be covered by other tourists’ markings.

*The Restless Viking symbol being laid in red paint on the trunk of this Cadillac.*

I found another finned Cadillac, which was easier to climb. I smudge my leg on some wet paint. (Why was I surprised at bumping into the wet pigment? I don’t know. I shake my head at myself.) The red stain on the knee of my favorite jeans is now ‘a memory’ that makes me smile.

As I pressed the canister, I was surprised at how erratically the mist of silver spread into the air and over the metal surface. I suddenly had an affection for the graffiti artists’ compositions. I continued to outline an umbrella and fill it in sloppily with the stream of metallic. I noticed that my fingers were now silver.

Chuck came up behind me and offered his red paint can so I could outline my depiction. Which I gladly did.

*The silver paint caught the sun’s rays creating a shine that really stood out.*

After an interesting descent we realized we hadn’t taken a photo of my crude composition. Chuck coaxed my position for this photo.

Carrying our canisters we headed toward the precariously parked cars. I noticed a teenage girl walking with her arms crossed and her head down. She was flanked by her middle aged parents who were empty handed. I thought I would spread some cheer. “Would you like some spray paint?” I held out my can. “It’s silver and shows up well!” The teen mumbled something and took my can. The mother raised her hands to her shoulders and wiped the air in front of herself, “I’m not going to paint anything.” Chuck followed suit and handed his red container to the dad.

The Cadillac Ranch is a destination for travelers from around the world. Usually (without a global pandemic) one would hear a variety of languages at this site. There’s an RV park nearby so Route 66ers can relish in the artform for days. I would enjoy watching people and their creativity as they stream toward the stationary automobiles to leave their artistic mark.

Then we climbed back into the Jeep. I was careful to grasp the handle with my clean hand. The one not marked with silver paint. We were off toward New Mexico on our way to Arizona. Stay tuned for more stories from Route 66.

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