Demolition derbies were once a common affair, but these days they're less common. A lot of that could be due to the classic cars that were used at the time.

"Now you can jump in a demolition derby car and really be a part of the sport," Sauer says. "It's really entertaining get smashed because they fall apart really quick, so the crowd loves it.

Some of the most famous demolition derby cars from the sport's history include a wide variety of vehicles. The dominant "Shocker," for example, was a 1970s Chrysler New Yorker, while the ...