Young’s Really Hot Rod Lincoln

The San Carlos, Calif., warehouse fire that damaged some of Neil Young’s memorabilia started in a 1959 Lincoln Continental he converted into a hybrid vehicle, fire officials have determined.

The fire began in the car and spread to the nearby warehouse. Young had converted the car to run on batteries and biodiesel-powered generator as part of his LincVolt project to create the world’s most efficient full-size vehicle.

At one time, he had hoped it would earn a $10 million Automotive X Prize as the first vehicle developed to get 100 miles per gallon or better by 2009.

Fire crews were able to save about 70 percent of the warehouse’s contents, and Young hopes the car’s computer will hold clues as to why the car went up in flames.