Here are two nice photos that are from different photographers, even though both slides are date-stamped "July 1961". They were meant to be together.
A boy in his groovy clamdiggers accelerates away from the curb as he begins his journey along the Tomorrowland Autopia's highway (no center rail). This metallic purple ("aubergine"?) color is kooky, but I like it. If this was truly 1961, the boy should be driving a Mark V vehicle, the kind with the "eyebrows", and yet it looks like he's driving an earlier Mark IV, which supposedly stopped being used in 1958. I can't explain it.
Meanwhile, over at Rainbow Ridge, a girl is happy to be riding a trusty and cute Pack Mule. She's all strapped in so that there will be no falling off while surrounded by bobcats and coyotes.
Apparently ALL the cars were ‘aubergine,’ that day.
ReplyDeleteAm I seeing a man - directly above Mr. Mule’s head, and above that roof??
Thanks, Major!
Major-
ReplyDeleteTwo lands. Two modes of transportation: One 'a few' horsepower; the other - 1 mule power. One pair of clam diggers; one pair of fabulous glasses. One aubergine; the other eggplant... Okay - maybe not.
I'm done. Thanks, Major.
MAJOR : anything is possible in Disneyland!! And time travel can only be the explanation of THAT Autopia car being in 1961! Clearly the monorail and submarine voyage is there .... and the Autopia track layout is the 1959 and after Super Autopia ....... so this style Autopia car shouldn’t be there...... but it is! I suppose a handful of older cars must have been held onto well past the time they historically should have been gone. It is however in a later color scheme - correct for the period of this photo. Another GDB discovery!
ReplyDeleteLittle Billy drove his Autopia car so fast, he did a slingshot around the sun and found himself back in 1958. Now he’s got to fit two humpback whales in the trunk of his Mark VI and take them back to the future. He didn’t sign up for this when he handed in his C coupon!
ReplyDeleteI never noticed the clothesline in pictures of Rainbow Ridge; that’s the kind of touch that makes the atmosphere special. Love little Susie’s blue Keds.
Maybe this was Eggplant Celebration Day at Disneyland. Magical!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I hope he packed lots of transparent aluminum.
Thanks, Major.
- Juiced-up Butterball (frozen turkey injected with who-knows-what.) Don't know how long I can keep coming up with Turkeyday names, but I've got a few.
Melissa, you forgot to point out that the car was stolen from Universal and that the kid faces a court martial if he doesn't succeed in his quest (plus, that whole "end of the world" stuff)
ReplyDeleteI actually love the style and color of this car! It goes with my purple Converse Sneakers! (I actually do wear purple Converse Sneakers. Don't judge.) I would make it my daily driver if I had it, and if the highway laws were significantly different in my state. And the anarchy of "no rails" takes a fairly tame ride and pushes it into the "Horrifyingly Fun Zone!" Alas, 'tis no more...
Oh, and there's a mule.
ReplyDeleteLou and Sue, there is a scarce Disneyland postcard showing an “aubergine” Autopia vehicle, for many years I was looking for “the one with the purple car”! And yes, you are seeing a guest on a mule on the trail that passed above Rainbow Ridge.
ReplyDeleteNanook, maybe that mule’s name was “Eggplant”! We can dream, can’t we? I’ve heard worse names.
Mike Cozart, I’ve always wondered how many Autopia cars were made of each model. 40? 60? We often see photos with unused cars parked off to the side, so you’d think that they would have plenty of Mark V vehicles ready to go. I’m not complaining though, I love seeing the Mark IV scooting around in 1961! Your explanation ("I suppose a handful of older cars must have been held onto well past the time they historically should have been gone") is the only one that makes any sense.
Melissa, I know that I personally slingshot around the sun all the time, it’s a real pain in the neck. You can imagine how 1958 people gawk at me when they see me in my silver lamé jumpsuit and hear me speaking Esperanto. I hope Billy remembers how to make transparent aluminum. The clothesline in Rainbow Ridge isn’t supposed to be there, but there is a squatter sleeping in one of the houses.
JB, I celebrate eggplants every day. They give so much, but ask so little, and when you think about it, they are the perfect pet. What can’t they do? I officially release you from your silly nickname curse, but… do what ya gotta do!
Stu29573, I am all for stealing cars from Universal Studios, those guys think they’rebetter than us. Also, stealing cars is COOL. Just like smoking cigarettes and disrespecting our elders. Like you, I love the styling and color of that car, it’s very classic, and was probably designed by Ghia of Italy. Or Bob Gurr. Purple Converse sneakers, yeah!
Stu29573, where??
OK homies, poor Chuck emailed me with a well-researched comment that Blogger would not let him post, so I am going to copy/paste it here. This is Chuck’s comment! The Pack Mules photo was taken around the left side of the loading area, after it turned the corner. The buildings in the immediate background are the Palace Hotel (“Very Reasonable Rates”) on the right and the Horse Shoe Cafe (“We Never Close,” although I have no recollection of it ever being open) on the left. For reference, see https://www.davelandweb.com/nw/images/packmules/60s/Plain_2_64_31D.jpg, https://www.davelandweb.com/nw/images/packmules/60s/EkTPBKBC_9_65_37R2.jpg, and https://www.davelandweb.com/nw/images/packmules/60s/KTPBKYC_6_66_N14R.jpg.
There’s definitely a guy in the background, up on the hill behind the Rainbow Ridge Hotel (see https://www.davelandweb.com/nw/images/60s/PBTKT_6_60_N16B.jpg for reference). He’s almost certainly on the back of a mule. The last part of the trail came up over the hillside, went behind the Rainbow Ridge Hotel, meandered past several buildings and ended up back at the load area (see https://www.davelandweb.com/nw/images/60s/1960-RainbowRidge.jpg; the wooden rail to the left of the Rainbow Ridge Hotel marks the path of the trail).
Another mystery - if it’s 1961, she should be riding a Mark V mule, but that’s clearly a Mark IV.
Those pictures were clearly meant to be together. Thanks for being the Matchmaker, Major.
I wish to believe these pictures were all taken on the same day at the same time. It’s probably possible and possibly even probable.
ReplyDeleteThe purple car is really great and the mystery of its origin makes it that much better. Monstro won’t fit in the trunk though, aluminum or not, but Scotty and Bob Gurr could work miracles from molecules.
The mule has a somewhat purple tint and is undoubtedly the latest model Hayburner 6.2.
I’ve always wanted to live in Rainbow Ridge and hang my laundry on the line, a red flannel drop-seat union suit like poor old Bill.
The clothesline detail is repeated in NOS, as the train arrives, I remember my Dad laughing at the realism.
JG
Major-
ReplyDeleteAccording to my research, 40 Mark I vehicles were made: (32 cars; + four police cars; one 'special'; and three extras). Another 40 Mark II vehicles ware made by the end of 1955/early 1956. 39 Mark I's were re-built to become Mark IV's; so by around Summer 1956, there were about 79 vehicles tooling-around the highways of Disneyland. The Mark V cars totaled 75 cars, starting around early 1959. In 1963/1964, there were 160 Mark VI cars - 40/circuit; 80 for each Autopia.
So, take your pick as to how many remaining Mark I's & IV's were kicking around in mid-1961.
JG, you never know! The fact that they are from the same month and year is already something of a miracle. Other than “Walt’s car”, which we sometimes see at shows (and might be at the Walt Disney Family Museum), I wonder if any of those older-model Autopia vehicles have survived? I just love their look. It hurts to think of them all going to the shredder/crusher. If I lived in Rainbow Ridge, I’d want to live high up on the hill, even though the quarters get pretty cramped!
ReplyDeleteNanook, very cool, I didn’t even think to do research, assuming that the info about the numbers of Autopia cars did not exist. I guess that I should learn a lesson. BUT I WON’T! Hey, my guess (a total wild guess) of 40 cars wasn’t too far from the mark. Once they were up to 75 cars, and then 160, they had quite a fleet. Pretty impressive.
For such a one-rider low capacity attraction that takes up vast amounts of real estate…I’m really super surprised bean counters did not mix this ride and “ruin everything”. As much as Autopia, or as my friends called “Autotopia” (and there were full on arguments about the name- I knew I was right!) was/is not my favorite ride, I do LOVE this purple car. Annette Funicellos first car was a purple Thunderbird with the license plate “MMC ….something something. It was the time before vanity plates and just a “fluke”. Mules tend to be stubborn, so I’m wondering about the operational complexity about an attraction that depended on the kindness of it’s “wheels”. Back to the Autotopia: is that car going the wrong way? Or was that the way it went back then? Thought it was always clockwise. I’m not a fan of eggplant- too mushy…but the color is awesome. Happy international aubergine day 2021.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Chuck and JG for putting a big smile on my face (that's the best place for it) with their Mark IV vs. Mark V mules, and Hayburner 6.2 model.
ReplyDeleteJG, Monstro and the two humpbacks will fit in the trunk because our slingshotter was thoughtful enough to also pack Dr. Who's Tardis (much bigger on the inside, y'know). Though I'm not sure how to get the whales through the narrow Tardis door. The mystery deepens!
Sounds like they need to cull a few stallions from the Autopia herd, or the park will be completely overrun with little cars before you know it!
Bu, I'm with you; Wonderful color, mushy veg.
- Juiced-up Butterball
JB, all those little cars grew up and moved out of the Park onto the surrounding parking lots, streets and highways.
ReplyDeleteJG
Bu, there have been rumors of the imminent demise of the Autopia, and it would not surprise me if such a thing was eventually announced. It’s hard to get an idea of how popular (or not) it still is these days, but as you said, it takes up a huge amount of real estate. I worry that whatever will replace will be DUMB. Maybe mules aren’t so fractious if they are treated really nicely? The only problem I ever heard about was when they would get startled by the bighorn sheep on Cascade Peak, they’d either bolt or buck. So the bighorn sheep went away.
ReplyDeleteJB, it’s too bad that Arrow Development isn’t around anymore, I wonder if they could have sold Autopia cars to the well-heeled consumer? Maybe there would be too much risk, since people are not exactly reliable when it comes to their own safety. I wish I was fond of the current vehicles, but they feel to plastic and toylike for my taste.
JG, maybe that’s what happened!
”As much as Autopia, or as my friends called “Autotopia” (and there were full on arguments about the name- I knew I was right!)”
ReplyDeleteAt the store where I sold children’s clothes many years ago, they had a rewards program called “Kidvantage.” EVERY SINGLE CUSTOMER called it “Kidadvantage.” What would the point even be of combining two words and leaving all the syllables in? Grumble grumble.