A beloved Disco bumper-car ride in Coney Island that frequently attracted A-listers like Liza Minnelli is facing its final spin.
The longtime owners of Eldorado Auto Skooters and Arcade have sold the single-story Surf Avenue building that houses the legendary ride to local developer Joe Sitt, who plans to raze the site as part of a larger project to bring hotels and new retail to the seaside district.
But although the three-decade old attraction – best known for its blasting Disco beats and club-style lighting – was sold earlier this month, negotiations are ongoing to keep it open this summer for a final season.
“We had so many wonderful memories,” said Sheila Fitlin, 71, who opened the world-famous “disco palace” with her husband, Sanford, 74, in 1973. “We created an icon, something no one had ever seen, and it was very successful.”
The Fitlins moved to Austin, Texas and turned the business over to their son – celebrity DJ Scott “Scotty J” Fitlin – 15 years ago. He kept the business popular — even in a post-Disco era — but died in 2010.
Both Gordon Lee, who took over running the arcade’s 36 “Bump Your Ass Off” bumper cars for the Fitlins, and Sitt’s company Thor Equities confirmed they are negotiating the possibility of a short-term lease to keep the bumper cars open for at least this summer to give loyal fans a chance at a final ride.
Sitt, who sold most of his Coney Island beachfront land in 2009 to pave way for Luna Park, is waiting on the city to make major infrastructiure upgrades before developing his remaing property, but that could take years.
“We’d love to keep the bumper cars operating for at least another year,” said Sitt spokesman Stefan Friedman.
The Eldorado bumper cars were such a hit with Minnelli in the 1970s that the old Studio 54 even tried to recreate them in its basement before running into spacing problems. The ride is also a favorite of many other celebrities, including ex-Met John Franco and actors Tracey Morgan and Gregory Hines.
The news of the sale was first reported by the blog Amusing the Zillion.
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