Deep in a Rhode Island barn, buried under dust and time, lurks a bizarre relic from America’s past: a 1964 Glide-A-Ride, that plodding people-hauler better suited for a leisurely crawl than anything resembling speed. This clunky contraption once shuttled wide-eyed tourists around the ‘64 New York World’s Fair, courtesy of Greyhound, before fading into obscurity. Now, after escaping the clutches of rot and neglect, it’s up for grabs—if anyone’s brave enough to take it on.
Built like a freight train’s timid cousin, the Glide-A-Ride paired a stubby front tractor with a hulking passenger car fit for 60 souls. The Clark Equipment Company slapped in a wheezy Continental 2.6-liter flathead four-banger, good for a whopping 37 horses. Let’s be real, this thing wasn’t built for drag races. Its sole purpose? Inching along like a glorified golf cart on steroids.
The seller isn’t sugarcoating things. Rescued just before decay could claim it entirely, the fiberglass shell’s hanging in there, but barely. The original canopy? Shockingly intact. Fresh tires mean it can actually move (sort of), though the engine’s currently seized tighter than a miser’s wallet. Surprisingly, the steel skeleton underneath has held up like a champ, offering a solid foundation for whoever dares tackle this beast.
Here’s the kicker: every other Glide-A-Ride vanished ages ago. This one’s a freak survivor, priced at $2,500—chump change for a slice of oddball history. But what do you even do with it? Some folks go wild with these things; imagine dropping a motorcycle engine into this sluggish behemoth and turning it into a Frankenstein’s monster of speed. Hell, someone already turned a bumper car into a 107 mph record-breaker. The possibilities? Endless, if you’ve got the guts.
Via Facebook Marketplace
