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Space Mountain Ride Vehicle

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Disneyana Start Price:50,000.00 USD Estimated At:50,000.00 - 60,000.00 USD
Space Mountain Ride Vehicle
All items are sold as is. Contact Van Eaton Galleries for condition reports and shipping information. 18% Buyers Premium for payment by Cash, Cashiers Check, Money Order, or Bank Wire. 21% Buyers premium for payments made by Credit Card, Debit Card, or PayPal.
Among the various attractions at Disneyland, Space Mountain tops the “favorite ride” list of many park guests. In addition to being one of the few “thrill” rides at the park, Space Mountain is unique in its creation. An indoor rollercoaster in the pitch black was completely unheard of at the time Walt first conceived the idea. It wasn’t until several years after Walt’s death that improvements in technology could lead to the creation of the futuristic ride through space that we know so well today.
Space Mountain opened at Disneyland on May 27, 1977 after the huge success of the attraction at Walt Disney World where it opened two years prior. The attraction has become a staple of Tomorrowland, with consistent lines of eager park-goers awaiting their high-speed voyage.
Updates to the attraction over the years including more recent seasonal renovations such as Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy during the Halloween season, and the upcoming Star Wars themed Hyperspace Mountain renovation have kept, and will continue to keep, Space Mountain as one of the most popular attractions of the entire park.
This collection includes an original Space Mountain ride car from the opening year of the attraction in 1977. The vehicle, in its sleek 1970s rocket design, has been repaired and restored to its original splendor and now makes for a fun and unique home furnishing.
This vehicle was one of two vehicles in this collection that belong to collector Kevin Doherty. The other, a pair of PeopleMover ride cars, are also a part of this exhibition and auction. Doherty has spent a number of years researching, planning, and restoring this vehicle with a dedication and appreciation of the history and significance of this ride car that shows brilliantly in the final product. Doherty’s passion and desire to do the restoration the right way, have made the Space Mountain ride car a truly unique and exciting vehicle.
There are a few ways to enjoy this vehicle. First, simply as a collectible, this ride car is an astonishing artifact. Ride cars alone are highly sought after items, but a ride car from such a popular attraction and from its opening year, make this a very special piece of Disneyland history.
Secondly, this ride car has a few qualities that make it a superb item for indoor or outdoor enjoyment. The original headrests contained high quality Boston Acoustic speakers. This car retains most of its original working speakers, with two blown-out speakers replaced with matching Boston Acoustic speakers to maintain sound balance.
Additionally, the ride car’s seating was originally a hard vinyl that, due to its age, was in need of restoration. However, rather than keeping the uncomfortable hard vinyl, the seating was sent to an automotive upholsterer and upgraded to a lightly padded 0.5” softer vinyl with a stitched seat for comfort and visual appeal.
The seating kept the original bright blue look, and many areas that could benefit from a cleaning instead of a restoration were kept in their original splendor without alteration in order to add to the provenance of the vehicle. The ride car was repainted in high quality iridescent paint that can glow for up to 7 hours, and features working original audio and lap-bar.
The car measures is 44" high x 48" wide x 120" long. In pristine condition, looking as though it could be used in the attraction today.
Whether it be watching a space-themed movie in your living room with the audio blaring through your headrest or casually lounging while listening to the functional radio, this ride car provides countless opportunities to continue the fun and magic that the attraction brought so many fans over the years.