Have You Heard of the Euclid Beach Rocket Cars?
Up until 1969, you could visit the Euclid Beach Amusement Park and climb aboard its swinging space rocket ride. Suspended by cables in the front and back of the rocket ship, riders would swing in a circle around a post, with the crisp Cleveland air blowing in their faces. Unfortunately, the rocket ride did come to an end at the park, but a man named Ron Heitman decided to do something about it.
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Using the drivetrain and sub-frame of a 1973 Oldsmobile Toronado, Heitman turned the former amusement park ride into a legal street vehicle called The Rocket Car. Under the “hood” is a 455 cubic-inch Oldsmobile engine with an automatic front-wheel drive transaxle. Amazingly enough, this Rocket Car also has power steering!
The 28-foot long Rocket Car is covered from front to back in polished stainless steel panels. When it comes to seating, there’s enough room for 10 adults (including the driver) or 15 kids. And rather than sitting on an incredibly hard surface, the seats have been upholstered in a heavy red naughahide, complete with seatbelts and automatic locking bars, since there are no doors on the vehicle.
As previously mentioned, this Euclid Beach Rocket Car is street legal, it was inspected by the Ohio State Police, and it is registered and licensed. Although it looks like a huge boat of a vehicle, similar to old Buicks and Cadillacs, the Rocket Car is actually quite nimble when it cruises the streets of Euclid. And staying true to its name, this space ship car is fast, capable of reaching up to 136 mph.
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If you can’t make it to the Cleveland area to take a ride in this Euclid Beach Rocket Car, keep an eye out for the iconic vehicle — and the many other duplicates made by other Rocket Car fans — during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s been featured in the parade for the last 10 years, and it’s also made an appearance at the Indy 500.
Learn more about another Rocket Car enthusiast:
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