SIx Flags Autoworld

What was it?? I was looking at the rollback thing and i saw something about it........

http://toysaregoodfood.com/content/archives/000008.html

It didn't even last two years...heck, SF removed all "branding" after the first year...

I remember visiting SF AutoWorld back in 1984 and for some reason or another, I actually had a good time. I remember the Eli Wheel and Carousel, but there was also a bumper car ride inside the dome. There were two "Disney-esque" dark rides- one was "The Great Race" and the other was called "The Humorous History of Automobility". Both were pretty tame and weren't exactly impressive in the animatronic department, but they were fun in their own way. The other thing I remembered was being able to "talk" to Fred The Carriageless Horse after exiting the Automobility ride. A barn was set up with a talking horse head. Someone was obviously in a secret room somewhere as you could hold a regular conversation with him. Kids loved it.

The IMAX Theater wasn't as big as CP's, but I believe it held 400 or so people. I saw "Speed" (the IMAX film... not the Keanu Reeves/Sandra Bullock movie) there for the first time and thought it was a pretty decent movie that fit in well with the automobile theme.

And if memory serves me correctly, there was an "outdoor street carnival" as well, with a few carnival rides and the Looney Tunes characters walking around.

In all, AutoWorld was a place I can say I enjoyed visiting once, but even if it would have lasted, I would have been in no hurry to return. It was an interesting concept, but one that just wasn't executed well enough from the start. I mean... Flint, Michigan as a tourist destination? ;)

ray p. *** Edited 2/23/2004 4:26:09 PM UTC by ProgRay***

What a really really really really really really really really bad idea! :>)

I remember hearing, on several occasions, that the ferris wheel from Autoworld is now the interior framework for the giant Goodyear (? if that's even the correct brand) tire on I-94 near Metro Airport.

I'm not sure of the validity of that, but it seems quite possible.

That's not true Gravity, that tire predates Autoworld by many years - I remember that tire back in the mid-70's.

Actually, I just did a websearch - it is a Uniroyal tire.
http://metro.heritage.com/dtw091703/story9.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/de2/detroitpix/1GiantTire.html

It was a ferris wheel...but it was at the 1964 World's Fair in New York. *** Edited 2/23/2004 5:51:17 PM UTC by redman822***

the autoworld subject has come up several times here on the site in the last few years. i encourage you to do a search on the site for some more info. or better yet rent "Roger & Me" by Michael Moore for some footage of AutoWorld's opening.

The reason that they were trying to turn Flint into a travel destination was to try and combat the failing economy due to the closing of several GM automotive plants in the town.

a very interesting story....

Here is all of the many SF Autoworld topics from the past:
http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forum.aspx?mode=search&q=autoworld&type=Rank

Ah.. well, at least the ferris wheel bit was true. I'd heard it several times from various sources, but never interested in it enough to actually check it out... but thanks for the info!

The big tire was a ferris wheel at the worlds fair(not sure what year).

From what I hear, the ferris wheel is still inside.

A quick search of google brought up this page that gives the history.

http://www.detnews.com/history/stove/stove.htm

The tire was a ferris wheel in the 1964 New York World's Fair. About halfway down the page is a picture of the wheel as a ferris wheel.

Here is more info:

http://www.uniroyal.com/about/gianttire.html *** Edited 2/24/2004 6:38:11 AM UTC by jpb***