So first, an admission. On Friday morning when Chad, Bob, and Greg were busting hump at Cordova to bring you the finest World Series of Drag Racing coverage ever, I played a little hooky. Ok, I did have my lap top and was working “remotely” but the family and I escaped for most of the day to Old Orchard Beach, Maine where there is good food, rides for the kids, and a really neat pier that’s pretty unique all by itself. The kids go back to school this week so we wanted to take ’em off to do something neat one last time for the summer. Now that we have that business out of the way, let’s get to the real story here!
On the way to Old Orchard Beach we were cruising innocently along when both kids at the same time yelled out, “DAD! Look at THAT!” I just about threw the car into a drift to switch direction and get a better look at what first appeared to be an overgrown golf cart. As we approached the craft/vehicle my jaw hit the floor because I saw the word, “Greyhound” painted across the front and instantly knew what it was. Believe it or not, this is a special vehicle built for the 1964 World’s Fair called a Greyhound Escorter.
I believe about 100 of these were ever built and their intended purpose was to serve as the means of transportation for people who paid to take a guided tour of of the Fair. Greyhound paid to have these vehicles built and their name was on the tour as the sponsor. They were always trying to convince people to let them do the driving, so this was another way to get the message out.
The problem was that the guided tour was apparently very expensive and few people paid to participate. It was so lacking that after a year or two, the tour was cancelled and the unique Escorters were all put out to pasture. I read somewhere that one or two of them were modified and turned into bullpen cars for baseball teams during the 1960s and 1970s but can find no visual evidence of that. I do know that one ended up at a used car dealer about a mile from the Atlantic Ocean in Maine somehow and that my kids were obsessed with it (I was too) after they first laid eyes on the unique and rare vehicle.
Power came from an Onan engine, tires were from Cessna, and the drive was hydrostatic to make it nice for passengers and easy to drive for the operator. We can’t imagine that there are more than 10 of these things left in the world intact. Why would there be? Have you ever seen another one?
TRIVIA – THE FIRST PERSON WHO CAN TELL US WHAT MAKE OF CAR THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS WERE SOURCED FROM WINS A BANGSHIFT SHIRT!
SCROLL DOWN BELOW TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THIS UNIQUE GREYHOUND ESCORTER!
The tail lights are 63 Plymouth.
I’ll have to get back to you on the Head/Backup lights. LOL
Oh, 63 Plymouth Belvedere.
I wanna say the head lights were sourced from Cessna as well
Headlights are back up lights manufactured by Unity of Chicago.
http://www.worldsfaircommunity.org/topic/422-greyhound-escorter/page-7
The light issue seems to have been answered. I just wanted to comment on the units intended use. I as a kid back then attend the worlds fair about 25 times over the 2 years(summers) it ran as back in them days as Conn. was home. My memory was if you had the money, instead of walking all over that massive place, you could pay by the hour or half hour, what ever it was, and ride. We didn’t have the money so we walked everywhere. When we needed a break in the A/C we would ride the Greyhound bus around the outskirts of the fair a few times for the little amount they charged to cool down. The second summer as I remember they were gone. My memory was it was because of accidents with people like us who were walking everywhere.
American restorations did one last season …neat little things
Greyhound’s 1963 Escorter prices (stiff tariffs in ’63)
“[I]ts cost will be $9.00 per hour for two passengers, with a surcharge of $1.00 for each additional passenger up to four (surcharge applies on the first hour only). The Escorter may be used for 20 minutes at a minimum charge of $3.00 for 2 passengers. For eight (8) consecutive hours a special rate of $70.00 for the vehicle and driver-guide will apply. Long term leases for a month, one season, or both seasons are available by special arrangements.”
There was a story about one of the Transporters in the Wichita Eagle a couple of weeks ago.
So there is at least one other around. Small World.
Disney rented three of these for their new film “Tomorrowland.” I bet they would have loved to have this one as well. I had helped them find some of the others but didn’t know about this one.
I have a picture of an Escorter at the fair at http://www.worldsfairphotos.com/nywf64/greyhound.htm
This is a great find. It looks to be in fantastic shape.
Bill