Image via Hunt Midwest
People are marveling at a photo that keeps making the rounds, showing brand new Ford Maverick cars sitting in what appears to be a cave. While some think the photo is fake or was just some staged scene for a magazine shoot, the reality is Ford really did store brand new Mavericks underground in caves back in the day.
This Mercedes Red Pig tribute isn’t what it seems.
Those caves were created by limestone mining operations from the 1940s. They delved deep and far, about 150 feet below the ground, hollowing out large expanses in the process. The result was a system of structurally sound, moisture-free caves sitting under Kansas City.
Decades later, someone realized the potential for storage, calling the old limestone mine caves SubTropolis and renting space to businesses. Ford realized the utility of renting some of the space and was soon stashing car components down there.
It then started storing finished vehicles in the space, and that’s how someone took a photo of all those classic Ford Mavericks stashed down there.
Today, SubTropolis is part of what’s called Automotive Alley in Kansas City. On the surface is Hunt Midwest Business Center, but 150 feet down are the caves. Situated just minutes away from the Ford and GM assembly plants in the city, it’s still utilized as a storage facility for new vehicles after they come off the assembly line.
In fact, Ford F-150 and Transit upfit shops have set up right there out of sheer convenience. It makes sense when you learn over 785,000 square feet of SubTroplis is currently leased by automotive companies.
SubTropolis not only has modern lighting, HVAC, plumbing, even fiber internet, the floors are concrete and everything seems not very cave-like, save the walls and ceilings. Ford still uses the space as storage, as do a number of other businesses.
Since the caves are out of sight, most people in Kansas City have no idea they exist.
Images via Hunt Midwest
