Many of you have seen pictures of the amazing Mark IV Monorail Cab currently for sale on Ebay floating around your social networking feeds this week. Monty the Monorail and his owner Chris have become quite popular this week with the auction going viral. With a starting bid of $169,000 Monty the Red Mark IV Monorail cab could be yours!
Monty was one of the ten Mark IV monroails that were operating opening day at Walt Disney World were designed by Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr. He also was involved in the 1974 Valentine’s Day “incident” where the Blue Monorail rear-ended Monty at the Magic Kingdom station. Monty is the only original Mark IV Monorail Cab still in existence I was told today by his current owner Chris Nowak. When Walt Disney World phased out the Mark IVs the Lime and Coral units were sold to the City of Las Vegas and were used there until 2004 when the city retired and scrapped them. After some time in a warehouse, Monty learned he was going be sold, but the driver section of him was suppose to change hands, but when it was discovered how complex it would be to cut him in pieces it was decided all of Monty would go to a new owner. Monty ended up in the possession of Mouse Surplus and then Theme Park connection, Monty has even visited Michigan and Georgia during his days of retirement.
(Monty seen here on opening day of the Magic Kingdom)
But how does one come about BUYING a monorail I am sure you are asking. In May of 2014 Chris and his wife who live near Sacramento California saw that Theme Park Connection was selling Monty on Ebay. These two Disney fans who after their wedding ten years ago went to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland in one month, decided to take the money they had been saving to buy a house and bid on Monty. Actually to better clarify Chris’ wife actually told him “take the money and try!” Due to the fact the Nowaks had to “go all in” this is also where Monty got his name.
Chris knows that the chances of Monty selling by 3pm on Monday are pretty slim, even if Monty’s auction has so much activity that Ebay directly contacted Chris today to make sure HE realizes how popular the auction has been. If Monty doesn’t sell Chris has plans to take Monty from Tampa to California, mount him to a bus chassis and then drive him to Burning Man. As I told Chris today I personally would LOVE to see the faces of people as they drive past Monty on his adventures as would many other Main Streeters.
For those of you interested in following Monty’s adventures he has become quite the social media super star in the last few days. You can like his fan page on Facebook as well as follow him on Twitter!
I would like to personally thank Chris for taking time to talk to me today about Monty and his love of Disney. As much as I hope Monty sells so that the Nowaks can explore other projects with the money they would make, in my heart I really hope to see Monty all classic “Lightening McQueen-stye” touring the country stopping to sight-see at places like the World’s Largest Teapot, the Grand Canyon and Disneyland with his trusty Mac truck.
Photos courtesy of Ebay Auction and Disney Parks Blog
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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