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')) (July 17, 1955–Present) BACKSTORY: In a memo that he dictated on August 7, 1954, Walt listed The Auto Speedway as number five for The Land of Tomorrow. The name transitioned into Autopia by October 30, 1954 and stayed that way ever since. Sponsored by Richfield (1955–1970), it represented the future of America’s highways. Bob Gurr, a recent graduate from an automotive design school, created the design of the body for the car, inspired by a Porsche 550 Spider and a custom Ferrari he had once seen. The Fiberglass bodies were constructed by Glasspar of Costa Mesa. Each of the 40 original Autopia cars were powered by a Gladden “75,” a one-cylinder mill producing 7.5 horsepower. This was the same engine used in the Mustang motorcycle and was assembled in Glendale, California. Cars without bumpers were almost completely destroyed by the test drivers, so bumpers were fitted around the vehicle; spring-loaded bumpers were eventually installed to discourage collisions. Imagineer Bob Gurr tells the story how the Autopia got a "garage": "After Disneyland opened, we had a lot of trouble with the Autopia cars. The majority of them were failing, and no one had figured out the support side of the attractions. I had been repairing the cars with my own tools on-site. Walt came by, looked at the whole scene, and asked, 'What do you need?' I told him we needed mechanics to work on the cars and that we didn't have any kind of facilities. In less than an hour, here comes this tractor dragging an old building, and the drivers says, 'Here's your building. Where do you want it?' We had mechanics the next morning."The Tomorrowland version received makeovers in 1967 & 1999. Other versions included the Midget Autopia, Fantasyland Autopia (Rescue Rangers Raceway), and Junior Autopia. Of these, the Tomorrowland Autopia existed the longest. The Midget Autopia opened April 23, 1957. It was the third and smallest track, after the Tomorrowland Autopia (1955) and the Junior Autopia in Fantasyland (1956). It was located next to the Storybook Land Canal Boats and the Motor Boat Cruise at the very edge of Fantasyland. Closed in 1966 and dismantled to make way for “it’s a Small World.” The ride was donated to the city of Marceline where it operated for a few years. In 2000 both existing Autopia tracks were replaced with a much larger Autopia sponsored by Chevron. The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray-inspired cars were replaced by three different kinds of cars: Dusty (off-road style), Sparky (sports car), and Suzy(Volkswagen Beetle-style). Each was designed to be tied into the Chevron line of animated “Chevron Cars”; 4 versions were sold as toys during the 2000 summer season at Chevron stations. |
>1950's |
>THE POLICE CARS |
>1960—1965 |
>1966—1969 |
>DAVID WOTRUBA: THE ENVY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD |
>1970's—1990's |
>FANTASYLAND/JUNIOR/MIDGET AUTOPIA |
1950’s |
THE POLICE CARS |
|
1960–1965 |
1966–1969 |
DAVID WOTRUBA: THE ENVY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD |
) ) Part of going to Disneyland is checking out the souvenirs; they vary in cost (and quality) from el cheapo pencils to exorbitantly expensive limited edition collectibles. However, for the big Disneyland collectors, the ultimate souvenir is having a piece of the park itself...namely an attraction vehicle. Daveland reader David W. emailed recently about his acquisition: an Autopia Car! Imagine racing around the neighborhood in that?!? Here’s his story:Whenever I visited Disneyland's Emporium on Main Street late at night, I marveled at people frantic to buy something. Something that would allow them to take home a piece of the magic they had seen at Disneyland. Often I would see guests buying the biggest plush Mickey they could find. When the Autopia car bodies were auctioned by Disney, I missed out on the opportunity to own one, but, months later, when Phil Sears put some up for sale, I knew what I must do. It took $1295 but was worth every penny. I did not believe that I could engineer and build a complete car under the fiberglass shell—but that’s exactly what I did in only 3 months. A local mover, Steve Hill, picked up the car for me in Anaheim and brought it to me, no charge. It took three months to build the frame and chassis and to get the car “on the road”. So, what do I have? A souvenir of Disneyland park, four feet wide and ten feet long! It sits outside our bedroom window—the first thing I see each morning.
To read more about David transforming the body into a working Autopia car, visit his website. |
1970’s–1990’s |
2000—PRESENT |
JUNIOR/MIDGET/FANTASYLAND AUTOPIA |
(1956—1999) BACKSTORY: The popularity of the Tomorrowland Autopia led to Junior Autopia in 1956 on an unused piece of land across from Storybook Land. Although the vehicles looked the same as those at the Tomorrowland Autopia, extension blocks were placed on the foot pedals and booster seats added to accommodate smaller drivers. The third (and smallest) Autopia track, The Midget Autopia, designed for the youngest drivers, featured a ride system that was more similar to the Fantasyland dark rides than the other Autopias. The child-size cars ran along a center bus bar through tunnels, along straightaways, and through a barn. Located next to Storybook Land, the Midget Autopia ran from April 23, 1957 to 1966. It was closed in April 1966 to make way for the wide path up to It’s a Small World.Walt Disney donated the ride to his boyhood hometown of Marceline, Missouri, where it was installed in a park named in his honor. For several years, it operated as a ride for the children of Marceline. Unfortunately, the cars were too difficult and expensive to maintain. You can still see a Midget Autopia car in Marceline. A lemon-yellow car is on display in the town’s Walt Disney Hometown Museum. The museum is open from April through October in the town’s former Santa Fe railroad depot—an appropriate place to honor lifelong train buff Walt Disney |
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