It has become common knowledge that Tomorrowland was sadly incomplete when Disneyland first opened on July 17, 1955. As the old tale goes, Walt decided to use "balloons and banners" to cover up this fact. Yet as time was running out, Walt kept insisting that Autopia be finished on opening day; even if it meant that nothing else was open in Tomorrowland. It was his firm belief that celebrities riding in the little roadsters would consume the majority of Tomorrowland's camera time for that broadcast.

Walt was, of course, right. "Dateline: Disneyland" cameras made the Richfield Autopia one of their featured Tomorrowland attractions- showing plenty of stars driving their own miniature cars.

Those first cars, the Mark I, were sleek combinations of the Porsche 550 and a custom Ferrari (favorite cars of Bob Gurr, the designer of the Mark I). There were 35 of these little cars available to guests on opening day, with four more painted as police cars. These "black and whites" escorted the guests in platoons, with one "officer" in front and one in back. A short time after opening, however, the police cars vanished and four more ordinary cars magically appeared on the line.

On July 23, 1956, the Richfield Junior Autopia opened near Fantasyland in order to quickly answer public demand. Intended for younger, smaller children, it was both simpler and shorter than the Tomorrowland attraction. The forty new Mark II cars featured extender blocks on the pedals and booster seats for the shorter kids to drive cars that were otherwise identical to their Tomorrowland counterparts. Unlike the original attraction, the street was only one car wide- a trait that continued throughout every other version of Autopia. This temporary attraction lasted two years until September 15, 1958. The Mark II cars were updated versions of the original ones, with some internal improvements. They had smoother engines, new materials, and were an overall improvement on the previous model. There was also a single Mark III test car built in 1956, trying out different engines, a ball-lock clutch and a gear box. Never intended on carrying guests, the Mark III literally ran 24 hours a day. The summer of 1956 brought with it the Mark IVs. Still housed in the original body of the Mark I, it had an improved mechanical design based on lessons learned with the Mark III.

1956 also brought a change to the Tomorrowland Autopia track itself. The original roadway was reconfigured as a double track (with two loading zones). The new ride had two separate lanes, unlike the double-wide single lane of the original, and a triangular station. In the coming months, the 39 original cars were converted to Mark IVs, bringing the Tomorrowland total up to 79 cars.

By early 1957, Tomorrowland underwent significant alteration to accommodate the futuristic Viewliner Train and Fantasyland's Motor Boat Cruise. The original track plan was brought in and made more compact. That same year, the Fantasyland Midget Autopia opened behind Storybookland. While still Autopia by name, the cars worked much like the indoor vehicles of Fantasyland's dark rides. It lasted from April 13, 1957 until its anniversary in 1966.

On June 6, 1959, the debut of a whole new Tomorrowland brought with it two whole new Autopias- a brand new track design for the Tomorrowland Autopia, and the similar Fantasyland Autopia. Riders climbed aboard a new Autopia vehicle- the Mark V- which were distinguished by their funny silver headlights (actually stock bumper parts from a 1958 Buick). These heavy vehicles were prone to suspension failure, and were slowly replaced by the Mark VI cars.

The Mark VI which was introduced in 1965 first used the center guide rail found in the current Autopia. The rails kept the cars in the center of the road, even if guests let go of the steering wheel. Drivers could still slow down or accelerate (and rear-end the car up ahead), but it was no longer possible to slam cars left and right between the roadway curbs. When several of the cars actually broke in two on the track, it became obvious to everyone that the Mark VI would be another short-lived model.

It was time for the Mark VII- a new and lasting design that would be strong, lightweight, and easy to maintain. From its unique mechanics to its flexible steel and urethane frame, the Mark VII would reflect more than a decade of experimentation and millions of miles of experience. When Disneyland's New Tomorrowland opened in 1967, both Autopia attraction roadways were unchanged, but the new Mark VII "stingrays" were ready to go. After over thirty years, the Mark VII cars were still logging miles along their paved and pleasantly confusing roadways.

But just as the slow and steady PeopleMover gave way to the fast and unpredictable Rocket Rods; while the familiar diesel exhaust and motor roar arine Voyage has been silenced; and while the long dormant Carousel Theater finally shows new life as Innoventions, Autopia is finally getting a facelift as well. For the two Autopia experiences that we have been accustomed to in recent years will be no more... a whole new Chevron Autopia, with four different vehicles, new theming and a few surprises looms on the horizon. And the Autopia legacy, started back in 1955, enters a new chapter.

On the road today there are thousands of diffrent cars, diffrent cars for diffrent personallitys. There are three diffrent styles of Cars in the new Autopia.

~Dusty he is the out going, rugged SUV of the Group. He couldn't be more ready to get out there and do some serious off-roading.
~Suzie this car is the "Cute" car. Suzy just loves being on the road. She just goes with the flow.
~Sparky they happy go lucky car perfect for a drive around town. Although he is a bit nervous about his first venture into the outside world. There's so much to excperience
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