Not long ago I had the opportunity to preview the new Walt Disney Family Museum opening in San Francisco this fall. This 1954 prototype Autopia car is a total charmer. Sporting a deluxe red and silver paint job, cushioned seat, dashboard gages, and sealed beam headlights, the little car is a donation to the museum from Walt's own grandkids.
Designer Bob Gurr's drawing for a 1954 presentation at WED.
The daring young designer himself, Bob Gurr takes a test spin in one of two original cars painted like black and white police vehicles in April of 1955. Most Autopia engines had governors on them to limit speeds to a safe 11 mph, but the two Tomorrowland police cars could travel as fast as 25 mph. Bob has explained that sometimes the engines in the regular cars could overheat, causing the governors to quit, "and then some lucky kid could really go fast."
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