The artist of this unique car sculpture, Jim Reinders, experimented with unusual and interesting artistic creations throughout his life!

During a seven-year stint working in England, Reinders had the opportunity of studying the design and purpose of Stonehenge in Salisbury. Reinders returned to the U.S. with a grand idea of creating his own take on the English monument in his hometown of Alliance, Nebraska but it was the passing of his father that drove an idea to a reality.

Carhenge was built as a memorial to Reinders’ father. While relatives gathered for the funeral in 1982, discussion turned to a memorial and the idea of an “American Stonehenge” was born! With no giant slabs of stone to be found in the Alliance, Reinders decided on a new medium for his sculpture – cars!

The family agreed to gather in five years and build the memorial. The clan, some 35 in number, gathered in June 1987 and went to work. Thirty-nine cars were placed to assume the same proportions of Stonehenge with the circle measuring approximately 96 feet (29 metres) in diameter. Some cars are held upright in pits five feet deep, boot end down, while other cars are placed to form the arches and welded in place. All are covered with grey spray paint.

Cars are similar in shape and size to the stones of Stonehenge!

The original 25 cars were erected during a Reinders family reunion.

Carhenge was dedicated on the Summer Soltice in 1987, reducing the time of the original Stonehenge construction by 9,999 years and 51 weeks!