Vehicle Description
Offered here for your consideration is a 1908 Model T. This Model T was owned by the current owner’s grandfather, William Ollie Hutton, and was created for Walt Disney to be displayed/run in the Main Street Parade in the early 1960's when Disneyland had just opened to the public a few years earlier. The vehicle was known to the public as the "Dizzy Lizzy" as it was modified to do wheelies (putting the front end in the air) while doing 360's while in the air. IThe vehicle was designed by Bob Gurr. A Senior Mechanical Design Engineer in the early days of Disney in the 1960’s.
History behind the Dizzy Lizzy:
William Ollie Hutton (Grandfather to the owner), was born in 1893 in St Clair Missouri. He and his family moved to Glendale, California in the early 1920's and he became a Motorcycle Deputy for Los Angeles County for a couple of years. The motor unit for L.A. County was disbanded so he transferred to the Glendale Police Department who still was using Motorcycle Cops. He was one of 9 Motor Cops in 1928. During this time Walt Disney who was from Marceline Missouri (154 miles away from St. Clair) moved to California (Burbank area) in 1923.
After a few years working as a Motor Cop for Glendale P.D., Ollie Hutton was involved in an on duty accident and was medically retired due to his injuries. Somehow, somewhere, Ollie Hutton And Walt Disney connected with each other (unknown if they knew each other in Missouri) and it was during the late 1950's - early 1960's that Ollie Hutton had modified his 1908 Ford Model T to become the Dizzy Lizzy.
Since Ollie Hutton was the only one who knew how to drive this vehicle, Walt Disney created a custom costume of the Disney character "Goofy" that he wore while driving in the later mentioned events. (The vehicle is controlled by a set of levers coming up through the floor board directly in front of the driver’s seat.). His costume was of Goofy during the 1920’s era when men wore a driving overcoat and hat (no goggles) in open aired vehicles.
What we do know is that during the early 1960's this vehicle was driven in the daily Main Street Parade at Disneyland, was featured in the early 1960's annual Hollywood Santa Clause Lane Parade, was guest star's "Pa Oats" vehicle in the 1969 - 1979 T.V. series Hee Haw staring Buck Owens and Roy Clark, and was featured on ESPN Classic NFL Films with Steve Sabo during the 1964 season when the Baltimore Colts were playing the Los Angeles Rams at the L.A. Coliseum. (The owners have a short video clip from ESPN Classic that was aired nationally showing the history of "NFL Films" narrated by Steve Sabo.) It shows Ollie Hutton in the Disney Goofy costume driving Dizzy Lizzy with Coach Don Shula sitting in the front passenger side with quarterback Johnny Unitas in uniform with another unidentified player #10 sitting in the back seat.
The owner’s have a few 16mm film clips showing Ollie Hutton as Goofy, the Dizzy Lizzy, along with Disney Characters Riding in the Disneyland Main Street Parade, driving in the back lots of Disneyland, and the video clip from NFL Films. We also have a Disney thank you plaque from 1964 from Walt Disney for Ollie Hutton's contribution with the Dizzy Lizzy in the 10th annual Disney Holiday Parade among other trophies.
The vehicle was restored to its current condition by a collector in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and was driven in parades.
For additional information please phone Dave Henry at 805 705-4924.
