and can be driven at speeds of up to 20 mph. But if you really want to get carried away, for around $150,000, a 750cc Ka- wasaki motor can be installed and your bumper car can be made street legal.


Dodgem went out of business in the early 1970s and Lusse is still making the “Skooter,” although the majority of bumper cars are now produced by Spaggiari of Italy. There are, however, a few parks that operate fleets of vintage Lusse Auto-Skooters. As one enthusiastic rider stated, “Once you’ve ridden these, everything else is just going around in circles.”


To learn more about vin- tage bumper cars, go to hagerty.com/bumpercars.


Because amusement is universal, bumper cars caught on overseas as well. Pictured is a Dodgem ride at the 1966 Battersea Fun Fair in London.


grille. To add to the realism, they soon had working headlights and taillights.


They continued to evolve as auto- mobiles did, and by the 1950s, some bumper cars even had Chevrolet emblems from local dealers. They were now made of fiberglass and the Dodgem was marketed as “The Sen- sational Space Age Dodgem.”


The cars from both Dodgem and Lusse from the 1930s and ’40s are very desir- able today, adding a unique period touch to any collection of vintage cars. However, fully restored as a static dis- play with bold paint, properly replicated upholstery and sparkling brightwork, they can be an expensive proposition: According to Peter Foster, owner of Lusse Auto Scooters LLC, a restoration can cost between $15,000 and $30,000. Some have been converted to 12-volt


Over 75 to


Choose From!


Any Brand 15 Colors Many Styles


Toll Free at: 1.800.708.5051


Neon Signs!


Custom Built Pumps! Gas


PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76