Fans All Shook Up as Pippin Sells for a Pittance

Suspicious minds want to know: How could Elvis Presley's favorite roller coaster, the Zippin Pippin, sell for a measly $2500 at a public auction? That would have barely paid for a few weeks worth of peanut butter and banana sandwiches for the King. While the coaster may have gone for an, um, song, hopefully the top bidder has plans to move and restore the historic ride. According to the Memphis Business Journal, the famous coaster went on the auction block along with a bunch of other rides from the shuttered Libertyland park in Memphis. The circa-1923 ride had been operating through the end of the 2005 season when the park closed. The woodie, which was known as simply the Pippin until 1975, had a 70-foot drop and reached speeds of 40 mph. The successful bidder is unknown. If the ride ends up as kindling wood, classic coaster fans may have to check into Heartbreak Hotel.
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