this took about 45,000 dollars to get right
Disney turned to ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena for help designing the Autopia cars.
ArtCenter wasn't about to do it on the budget Disney proposed, but equally legendary car designer, and ArtCenter instructor Strother MacMinn knew a recent graduate named Bob Gurr who could use the work. The Autopia Mark I was designed on nights and weekends with the help of students.
ArtCenter wasn't about to do it on the budget Disney proposed, but equally legendary car designer, and ArtCenter instructor Strother MacMinn knew a recent graduate named Bob Gurr who could use the work. The Autopia Mark I was designed on nights and weekends with the help of students.
legendary Disneyland designer and builder Bob Gurr:
"Opening day, people were jumping over the wall and commandeering cars before they got to the head of the line," Gurr says. "Walt was giving [actress] Gale Storm a tour and said, 'Oh, Bob can watch your kids.' I figured I'd have 'em in my pocket if I took 'em for a drive on Autopia. We're going along, and the kids kept yelling, 'Hit 'em, hit 'em,' so I put my foot down and knocked [another driver] over the wall. It was Sammy Davis Jr. I never did catch up with him to apologize."I did a good post about Bob Gurr just a couple years ago, https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2020/11/not-many-people-have-worked-at-any-of.html
and Steve sent me some neat stuff about Autopia https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-various-concepts-for-disneys.html
Chip Foose owned one
This is so cool. I drove those cars a few times at Disneyland. What a blast from the past!
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