The cars that today rest stacked in vacant lots or occupy precious parking spots around the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina were once loved. Most were abandoned because someone considered them old or obsolete, but others now look at them as classics, forgotten treasures which simply had a bad owner.

Eventually, many of these cars and their parts will end up as scrap metal that’s recycled into new appliances, but is it right to let them leave this world like that? That was my starting point; I couldn’t just let them just disappear, and obviously I couldn’t save them all either. Therefore, I decided to portray them, to look for the beauty that they showed, even in spite of the carelessness shown to them and the passage of time since they rolled off the assembly line as a brand new car.

To do so, I chose to use an old medium format camera that I loaded up with expired film. This way, I was assured an aesthetic and colors that truly reflected the beauty of these cars in their final state.

For around three months I spent my weekend afternoons touring the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires aboard a 1976 Fiat 600R that a few years ago I took ownership of from my grandfather.

I wanted cars that had something more to say; classics and icons of the industry that marked a before and after. I also looked for cars that time and vandalism had generated a new identity or attractive details.

In short, any car that deserved a last photo was included in this series.

Fabio Langellotti
Facebook: Fotografias.Fabio
Instagram: fabio.fotografias

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How To join the IATS program: We have always welcomed readers to contact us with examples of their work and believe that the best Speedhunter is always the person closest to the culture itself, right there on the street or local parking lot. If you think you have what it takes and would like to share your work with us then you should apply to become part of the IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER program. Read how to get involved here.