An Interview with Tony Baxter
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LP: When the new Autopia was announced way back when, there was talk of including some of the original Autopia cars as the "classic" model. What happened to that?

One of the original Autopia cars. Photo taken last September shortly before it closed.

TB: Well when we looked at them all together there's a lot more detail on the new cars and they looked rather plain, like "what's wrong with this car? Why didn't they put the same effort?" There were no taillights, there were no details and so the work we would've have to put in to do a rehab on that - plus those didn't fit the new engines. The back end is much higher on these new cars for two reasons. There's a new engine that has an electric starter on it so if you've ever worked this ride you no longer have to pull the old lawn mower cord, they start automatically. And if they stop for a while, and the kids push the pedal down, they'll actually start the car again. And that keeps the fumes down and they're cleaner burning and less fuel.

The back of one of the new cars

Secondly, we have headrests now so the back has been designed to cushion any of the bumping any of the kids - I didn't want to take the bumping away because I think that's half the fun of the ride. So you can still bump but we have a headrest now, they're much higher. And those two things would've made so much modification you'd have been struggling to even recognize that it was the old car. So it didn't seem worth it.

We do however have one in the post show Winner's Circle shop over here. It's been all dressed up with flames on it and everything so those that are inclined will get to see one of them honored in the Winner's Circle.

An original car in the Winner's Circle

LP: Will we see more classic Disneyland attractions get make-overs like this?

TB: Well I'd like to think this is our second because we did the Treehouse last year and it's relevant to kids  - just as 1963 was relevant to the Swiss Family movie, 1999 was relevant to kids growing up with Tarzan. We have some hopes for the Main Street Cinema, we're still working on that. Hopefully that'll happen, it's just taking a lot longer than I imagined it was going to. So every place that we see an opportunity to enhance something that we think is a classic, that we need to keep but make it relevant for the generation of  park goers today, we will. And that's a whole different thing - aside from creating new attractions.

So obviously everyone wants to know what's going to happen to the sub ride, and I wish I could tell you.

LP: Is it coming back as has been rumored?

TB: It's an awfully great asset to the park, that's all I can say. And as long as I'm here I'm going to be fighting to do something incredible with it.

LP: What about the Rocket Rods? There have been many rumors that it won't be around for very long.

TB: Not true. Things can change but right now there's been a commitment and if you look around you can see a lot of effort that's put in to the Rocket Rods in the last two months to get it over a hump. I think there's a commitment right now to keep going that way.

-- Posted June 26, 2000
-- Interview by Doobie Moseley
-- Pictures by Doobie Moseley and Rebekah Moseley