I’m sure many of us who visited Disney in our youth or as parents can recall the “Autotopia” ride that featured electric kiddie cars riding on tracks. There always seems to be some allure around this amusement park ride, as the cars themselves has been siphoned off through different channels and are seemingly in demand by collectors. This example here on eBay appears to be one of the earlier “Midget Autotopia” cars that was found after hiding in the rafters of a barn since the 1970s.
Amazingly, bidding is over $1K and the reserve remains unmet. I won’t try and summarize the story here, but from what I can surmise, the “Midget” body was used at multiple rides around the country in addition to Disney. Determining if one of these kiddie cars was an actual Disney-owned vehicle can have a serious impact on value, but sometimes the overall rarity makes bidders want it no matter the origins of home-court amusement park. All we have to go on with this one is the previous owner’s statement that this was indeed a Disney car.
The seller notes that body is “super thick fiberglass” and in good shape. In addition, it has been converted to run on a conventional gas motor: “This original chassis has had the steering converted to make it operational and steer and was set up to run a Kohler 4 b.h.p. engine. I have never heard engine run.” These are pretty simple motors to work on, so I wouldn’t worry about the non-running condition. Proving heritage is far more important on rides like this.
The seller includes a great period picture of an Autotopia ride in action, but I’m not sure if this is actual Disney site in question. I can remember visiting this exact ride in my youth when the “Gurrtini” was the car body of choice, which looked way cooler than the Midget (in my humble opinion). This is a fun subset of the car hobby and one I wouldn’t mind getting into – but I’ve found enough ways to bleed cash as it is, so expensive kiddie cars will have to wait.
Cute but no thanks, it takes up space and is fairly useless.
You have obviously never seen Rich Rebuild’s channel on YouTube. He bought “Daisy” that was used in a Disney parade and brought it back to life with Tesla parts. Burned it alive, but Daisy will be back.
I don’t ever remember these being electric as your writer implies. The satisfying “putt-putt” connected to the actual gas pedal was a thrill for this little tyke “way back then” Battery power just wouldn’t have had the same effect or memory!
These were always gas and they could be steered. It wasn’t until the 1960s that they added the center rail to limit driver input. In 1956 when I went for my first drive they didn’t even have the spring bumpers. This one looks like a Mark I. It’s an interesting old relic and will be great for someone’s man cave.
The autotopia cars where never electric they where always gas powered. Had fun on the ride when i was a child.
Great body to stick on a go kart
I doubt that this example is an Autopia car, but perhaps one made for another amusement park?
Like the others have said, the Disneyland cars were all gas powered. I first went to the Magic Kingdom in August 1955…
It’s reasonable to doubt seller’s Disney claim. According to the Yesterland site the 10 original Disney cars by WED Enterprises are accounted for.
Arrow Development, Mountain View, CA manufactured “Arrowflite cars for other parks. See 1957 advert on link.
Ricky’s Racers were operating as late as 2014 and “Idlewild and Soak Zone outside Pittsburg, PA per Yesterland. See photos of Ricky Raccoon and happy 21st century kids at the wheel(s):
https://yesterland.com/arrowflite.html
ps: Idlewild still has Ricky’s Racers per their park page.
James is correct – This car is one of Arrow’s Arrowflite Thunderbird cars which ran on an electrified 24 volt rail. That ride system was adapted by Disney into the Midget Autopia, but those cars did not have the Thunderbird medallion on their fender skirts. They had no active steering, throttle or brakes. For more on this visit; http://arrowdevelopment.blogspot.com/2019/10/midget-autopias-obscure-cousin.html
We didn’t have a lot of money back in those days so I never got to see Disneyland but got to see Disneyworld when grandma took the grandkids there and I was the muscle to keep them in line. Cool little car but too rich for me as a man cave toy, maybe when I win the lottery.
Well my RotaxMax motor is collecting dust…
Rumored to have been taken out of service after a little publicized incident of “Autotopia Kiddie Road Rage” involving a parking space. Blood stains said to be impossible to remove…
With a pedigree like that, who needs a 47 mile Grand National?
Without the provenance proving this to be a Disney Autopia car, it’s just a cool Autopia car. The seller could just as well say George Washington drove it. An unsubstantiated claim adds no value at all to the serious collector.
outskirts of Waco Texas,
My Brothers in Mid 50’s.
1957 was exact year.
A cool little novelty, but I’m like most, and don’t have the sheckles, room, or need for one of these. The `49 DeSoto-like taillights are cool, and basically pinpoint this kiddie car as being probably late `50s at the latest. a friend with $$ has an old dodge `em car in his man-cave from our city’s old amusement park, “Peony Park” here in Omaha. The front end is a dead ringer of a `46-`48 Chrysler!
‘Busa.
Oh heck yes an LS would drop right in!!!!
Gotta have a blower hanging out of the hood and a parachute. Oh yeah, forgot the wheeli bars!
As much as I remember the “putt putt” I remember the foul stench of smokey exhaust fumes. Mmmmm, I miss that.
Alway thought it’d be cool build a plexiglass coffee table around something like this.
Neat-o….
Here’s my 1939 Speed King Auto Racer from the New York World Fair. http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/CarnivalCars
Lou,
A vendor at the Hershey AACA event has a similar type [if not the same] car in need of total restoration, I have all his info, if you are interested let me know.
Lou, you dog. That’s a very special vehicle. And with the Cushman engine it should be a real screamer.
I remember in the early 80s Cedar Point in ohio had cars kinda like this. They looked like model T’s.
Ended: Nov 27, 2018 , 2:02PM
Winning bid:US $5,200.00
[ 35 bids ]
I remember this as being gas powered as well. Spent a whole night riding these in the mid-60’s. There would have been much more background material like the Matterhorn in the photo with the 66 Ford in it. Doubt this was D-land shot.
This car is one of Arrow Development’s Arrowflite Thunderbird cars which ran on an electrified 24 volt rail. ‘
That ride system was adapted by Disney into the Midget Autopia, but those cars did not have the Thunderbird medallion on their fender skirts.
They had no active steering, throttle or brakes.
For more on this visit; http://arrowdevelopment.blogspot.com/2019/10/midget-autopias-obscure-cousin.html