A roller coaster Elvis Presley used to ride in a Memphis amusement park has acquired a new owner but not a new location. The Zippin Pippin was purchased by former Elvis impersonator Stephen Shutts of Nashville who is looking for a corporate partner to move and operate the roller coaster somewhere in Memphis, the Washington Post reports.
The Pippin was a favorite of Presley who used to rent out Libertyland amusement park so he could ride the roller coaster in privacy. Though Memphis residents fought to keep the park open, it closed to the public last fall and the roller coaster went on the auction block.
Shutts and his partner wanted to purchase the lead car for their traveling museum but regulations forced them to bid on the entire roller coaster. Surprisingly, their $2,500 offer was the winner and now they must decide what to do with the Zippin Pippin.
Elvis' Favorite Roller Coaster Needs A Home
August 08, 2006 | Other Source:GoogleSuziB wrote on
August 09, 2006
You can not expect EPE to buy, house or otherwise fund any old piece of junk just because it has an Elvis connection, however tenuous. I refuse to stoop to jokes about his favourite 'ride' but just because it was his favourite at the funfair (Libertyland)doesnt mean it's an important Presley artefact - it would simply add nothing to Graceland, or any other place, so why should they feed or wantto do anything....
Jerome wrote on
August 11, 2006
Think I'm going to buy it and put it in my dog house, together with Elvis' favourite gas station and super market...
Devon wrote on
August 15, 2006
Its a ride that Elvis would ride on,if they bought every car Elvis was in think about where would you put all them. Nice that they bought it but its a ride thats all it is!!!