Junkyard Empire is one of those shows that you might not know of, but you should. Junkyard Empire features a father and son duo in Bobby and Andy Cohen, and they turn some of the worst shape cars and trucks into cold hard cash. Not only do they run a full-service scrapyard, but son Andy has opened an automotive customization and restoration shop on-site as well, where they turn piles of scrap into cars worth selling.
Updated March 2023: If you enjoy watching Junkyard Empire, you'll be happy to know that we've updated this article with even more little-known facts every fan should know about the excellent TV show, and this includes the Cohen's net worth.
We will share some of the little-known facts that any fan or newcomer alike should know about the show. Some range from the clash of Bobby and Andy's personalities to the future of the show, and even how they maintain the family business and adapt in order for it to flourish. Junkyard Empire has the aspects of any show that you could ask for, and even those that you might not expect. To start off this list of 20 Little Known Facts about Junkyard Empire, we are diving into the relationship between father Bobby and son Andy, in how they view the business.
20 Junkyard Empire Is Not Like Other Car Shows
Today's automotive reality TV shows are often centered around restored American muscle cars that cost as much as a house, or regular cars modified into something most people would never drive. Perhaps the best part about Junkyard Empire is the fact that they fix up vehicles regular people can use as daily drivers or to promote their businesses. Sure, there are several car restoration TV shows, but each tuner seems to add their own personal touch to the projects, and often, the results are quite dubious. Junkyard Empire, however, usually gives the old classics the right treatment.
The Cohens don't specialize in American muscle, they understand that every car is special and has potential in its own right. They take great pride in modifying all kinds of vehicles, which has led to them building a Hot Rod Rolls-Royce and restoring an Audi R8. In one episode, they even did what most car shows would never do – they pretty much built a car from the ground up and gave it a tasteful treatment.
19 Andy Cohen Helped Progress The Business Side Of Show
The business has always been a main concern for Andy Cohen of Junkyard Empire. Finding ways to completely overhaul and supplement income is his specialty, and he is very good at what he does.
From finding some of the best cars to flip, to full restorations, as well as the full functioning scrapyard, Andy has adapted and progressed the business to where Bobby wasn't able to. Granted, Bobby put the foundation down for him, but there was a lot of room for improvement.
18 Junkyard Empire's Crew Supercharged A Mad Max Police Interceptor
One of the rarest vehicles that the Junkyard Empire's crew has come across for a project is the replica of the Mad Max police interceptor.
Though the owner of the car claimed it was the original movie car for Mad Max, Andy did state that it was a replica. Anyway, not only did they restore it slightly, but they also added a functional supercharger versus the fake movie prop.
17 The Show Helped Fulfill The Cohen's 'Family Business' Goal
The family business is something that Bobby Cohen has always wanted to build. From the beginning, this was the goal, to have a family business, which was also successful.
Not only has the show Junkyard Empire brought even more success to the family, but it has built it even higher than Bobby ever would have imagined. This is something that isn't just a business anymore, it is truly an empire and Bobby and Andy are sitting at the top, finding ways to make it even bigger.
16 Junkyard Empire's Transitioning To Flipping Cars
One thing that you've been able to see on Junkyard Empire is that the show is moving more toward flipping cars. Whether these are just simple flips or large restoration projects, this has been something that Andy has envisioned for many years.
Flipping cars takes all the aspects of Andy's vision and places them together. Junkyard Empire has had a ton of huge flips, and they will continue to do so.
15 The Show Hosts Often Have Contrasting Ideas
Bobby Cohen, who founded the junkyard around 25 years ago, is a very laid-back person. Andy, on the other hand, is much more in your face and out there.
With two different views on how the business can continue to grow, the duo always finds themselves at a crossroads since their personalities differ so drastically. However, this doesn't stop them from making the right decisions for the show and the business.
14 How Junkyard Empire Is Adapting To Make Money
One of the biggest things that any business needs to do is adapt. Junkyard Empire is no different. In order to adapt to make money, not only has the crew gone deeper into the automotive selling side of the business, but they've also begun doing restorations.
With Andy at the helm of the operation, the business is progressing toward a real empire, versus just a junkyard that most might see at first glance, which gives fans of the show great energy and flavor behind how Andy thinks.
13 Junkyard Empire Also Makes Money Through Event-Based Rentals
Another idea that Andy had was to turn some of the cars that they restore into event vehicles, which they can rent out. For instance, this Maryland flag-based ambulance gets used to promote certain events.
Andy's vision for this was to create a recurring revenue source that would keep making money, without having to shell out a ton of money to make it back. This gives Junkyard Empire another source of income to grow the business even further than they've already done.
12 The Idea Of The Junkyard Empire Show Was Originally Created At A Campfire Meeting
Something very interesting is actually how the show came to air. Before the first season, Andy was at a campfire with a few of his friends, one of which happened to work with Half Yard Productions.
After listening to Andy tell his stories, and go on about the business and everything in between, one of them jokingly said that they needed to give him his own show. Nearly a year and a half later, the first episode of Junkyard Empire aired.
11 Auto Restoration Helps Deal With Slow Season
Like with any business, Junkyard Empire tends to deal with the slow season in the Washington D.C. area as well. One of the ways that they've combated this is with the auto restoration side of the business.
Once Andy's brainchild came to life, this was one of the best ways that they could occupy their time. Between flipping cars and restorations, during the scrapyard's slow season, the team was always busy with a project.
10 The Cohens Built The Show On Decades Of Dedication
Bobby Cohen founded the scrapyard 25 years ago, which gives an interesting look into how long these two have been working here and creating a viable business.
Not only has Bobby managed to get the business to the point where Andy has taken over, but he continues to give his time to the business. This is something that shows how dedicated someone can be to a business that they've been a part of for many years.
9 Finding The Perfect Project Car Isn't Easy
Finding a car to flip or restore isn't an easy task. Luckily, Andy always finds a way to combine the knowledge of cars with business as well.
He almost always finds a way to find the perfect car, where a solid profit margin is certain. But it takes a certain eye to see this type of opportunity and with the trained eye that Andy has developed, he will be continuously making these finds until he decides to slow down.
8 Keeping The Family Together Is A Huge Task
Family is everything to Bobby and Andy. This has been a family business for many years already, and it has helped them find success not only just on the TV screen, but in business as well.
Keeping the family business together when things get tough is the hard part, not only do you have to figure out what you are doing to progress, but how to keep your family intact and not broken. A family business is the hardest kind of business venture that you can possibly do, even if you have found success.
7 Knowing When To Cut Losses On A Project Is A Skill
This is one of the most important things that Andy has had to realize when it comes to restorations, projects, and business in general – when to cut your losses on a bad project.
Sometimes you do find yourself in a situation where you will end up spending more money than you will make, and Andy has found himself in that situation more than just once. Not only do projects and scrapyard cars have surprises, but they can be extremely expensive surprises as well.
6 Junkyard Empire Often Does Cool Off-The-Wall Builds
The Junkyard Empire crew is famous for some nice and clean builds that they do. However, they often flex with some off-the-wall builds. From a PT Cruiser converted to an ice cream truck, to a jet boat car contraption. Notably, those are far from things considered fake on the Junkyard Empire.
There is always something to find in the most notorious scrapyard in Washington D.C. and the surrounding areas. Not only has Andy wanted to become bigger, but he wants to promote their capabilities as well with the builds they finish.
5 The Best Finds Bring Huge Profit
Some of the best finds of the show have also turned into huge profiting makers for Andy and Bobby. Finding a Cadillac like this one, or even the old school Rolls-Royce, and even supercars have been among the best finds for Junkyard Empire.
It is that knack for finding the best scrap and junk that has led to some of the best finds in the history of the show and led to an even bigger business for Andy as he continues to make these finds and restore them for a huge profit.
4 The Clash Of Two Personalities Often Lead To Compromise
One of the things that continue to happen at the scrapyard or on the show is the clash between Andy and Bobby.
Where Andy has officially taken over the Junkyard Empire and the business, Bobby still finds himself at the scrapyard or on set. This adds to the tension between the two because Andy again is a very outspoken person with a go-getter attitude, and Bobby is much more laid back, so there always will be some compromise between the two.
3 Having A Keen Eye Has Brought Huge Success To The Show
The keen eye is one thing that Andy and Bobby both have in common. Each of them has made a living by building the Junkyard Empire (through having a keen eye for seeing junk as cash).
This leads to making huge finds that are ideal for a restoration job, or even finds that can get put on sale just as is. Fortunately, it has brought them a ton of success and the show has reflected that as well.
2 The Junkyard Empire Is The Art Of Turning Scrap Into Cash
Returning to the 'keen eye' part, both Andy and Bobby have always had the knack for turning scrap into cash. With the business being a full-service scrapyard, you have to admit that the duo has found success doing what they are good at.
Andy, specifically, has always been about making money. Each scrap car isn't just junk in his eyes, it is cold hard cash. This mentality not only gives him an advantage over the competition, but it adds a huge business advantage. That is what Junkyard Empire is all about.
1 Junkyard Empire's Worth
Several factors help determine what an organization or individual net worth is, and this generally boils down to the assets owned minus assets owed. The Junkyard Empire show has brought a lot of exposure to the Cohens, but the family actually make more money from their business than the show itself.
The Junkyard Empire’s net worth often fluctuates depending on the source. Furthermore, Bobby has since retired, leaving his son Andy to run the business. According to Wealth Gorilla, Andy Cohen’s net worth is estimated to be $50 million.