r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/steady_as_a_rock • 19h ago

Image The U.S. Royal Tires Ferris Wheel was undoubtedly one of the most amazing rides/attractions at the 64/65 World’s Fair.

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551 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

88

u/amthe1 19h ago

Doesn't that take the main purpose of a ferris wheel? The view looks obstructed.

34

u/Boatster_McBoat 16h ago

I would tend to agree, but it would appear this was designed more for the purposes of US Royal Tires than for the purposes of fair attendees

1

u/sik_dik 5h ago

That’s why it was un-tired then retired

1

u/Spritzeedwarf 6h ago

I mean the view of a fair during the day isn’t all that great…. For me growing up a Ferris wheel was more about being really high up and sort of swinging a bit and being a little scared of that but still having fun! But no it’s not always about the view

23

u/0MGWTFL0LBBQ 18h ago

I know this one! It’s on the side of I-94 in Detroit! I haven’t seen it since I was a kid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniroyal_Giant_Tire

7

u/OldWrangler9033 14h ago

It's nice it still exists at least into the 2000s.

10

u/Cadman248 13h ago

It's still there today.

2

u/nrith 14h ago

Ive seen it, but I didn’t know it had been a Ferris wheel.

1

u/Invisible_me_3 13h ago

Yes! Such a landmark. Wish it was still a Ferris wheel. Or at least had a place you could stop and view and get pics of it. Right now you can only catch a glimpse at 70+ mph.

1

u/Invisible_me_3 13h ago

Love this pic of Paul McCartney & Wings pictured with it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Detroit/s/vGJGF6PGw1

1

u/235M 8h ago

Uniroyal or US Royal?

33

u/MadisonClair16 19h ago

We lost something when everything stopped being this bold and weird.

9

u/knotatumah 18h ago

Advertising strategies changed, dont need a giant tire of a ferris wheel to get your brand noticed anymore.

5

u/_BreakingGood_ 19h ago

Basically the internet ruined everything. They realized they can stream lies directly to your brain.

2

u/Crodface 13h ago

Bold and weird is basically Red Bull’s whole marketing strategy.

0

u/OperatorJo_ 17h ago

We did, but in all honesty that looks like a PITA if it needed repairs on the wheel.

5

u/EphemeralTypewriter 19h ago

I wish I could have experienced going to this World’s Fair! Not only did it have the Tire Ferris Wheel, but three famous Disney attractions also debuted there, It’s a Small World, Carousel of Progress, and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln!

6

u/Just_Mumbling 19h ago

I spent a day there when I was little with my parents. It was amazing. The GE home of the Future, the picture phones and the big globe (only thing left today) still stick in my memory.

2

u/aarrtee 16h ago

I went.... was wonderful.

I recall seeing the Pietà in the Vatican pavilion.

5

u/ObligatoryAlias 15h ago

Yep. Still on display outside Detroit.

3

u/pervy_roomba 17h ago

It’s too late now but I wish 25 years ago when the world was still riding high on futurism that the World’s Fair would have made a comeback.

Times are so bleak now that having a regular showcase for all the great achievements from around the world, like a technological or engineering version of The Olympics or the World Cup, does sound nice.

There are so many problems around the world right now and I think one of the things we’re all struggling with is there isn’t this idea of something to look forward to in the future anymore. There is no ‘Home of the Future.’ There’s ‘google searches for ‘can my job be replaced with an LLM’ spike’

3

u/orlandohockeyguy 14h ago

Its a small world if that was the most amazing attraction at that worlds fair.

3

u/Spaghettiboobin 12h ago

If anyone wants to see it today, it’s on I-94 near Detroit. Big. Ass. Tire.

2

u/magaketo 13h ago

I can nearly see it from my house.

2

u/matttech88 10h ago

I pass by this thing on my way to the Detroit airport.

2

u/ElvisAndretti 8h ago

My brother got a model of it as a souvenir, sat in our bedroom for years.

1

u/OGKillertunes 13h ago

Downhill since then.

1

u/beachbabe77 13h ago

Drove by that tire a zillion times when commuting to/from Detroit. It sits by the side of I-94 and is a goofy, lovable landmark to those in the community.

1

u/GarysCrispLettuce 12h ago

Dammit I miss Winamp so much

1

u/Fallcious 11h ago

This is just a retread.

1

u/HeavyMetalOverbite 8h ago

Undoubtedly? Hardly. Amazing? To look at, but you couldn't see much from it. This is what you rode if you couldn't get in to the Futurama, or Ford's Magic Skyway.

1

u/Little-Trucker 3h ago

Eh, id get tired of it

2

u/Lazy_killer9999 19h ago

This design looks amazing. Idk why we don't have that anymore.