Seth discovered this ex-Safari Ride jeep at the corporate headquarters of Sweetwater, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The fiberglass jeeps were built by Bradley & Kaye and Fort Wayne Zoo visitors used to ride in them as they toured the zoo’s African Veldt. The African Veldt exhibit opened in the 1970s and closed in the mid 2000s. It was replaced by the African Journey’s sky ride.
David Bradley, the ‘Bradley’ in Bradley and Kaye, had a long history with amusement parks. In 1946 David Bradley opened up the Beverly Park amusement park in southern California. His park inspired Walt Disney to the point that Bradley became a consultant for Walt on Disneyland. At some point Bradley became connected to the Bradley and Kaye manufacturing plant, which created fiberglass carousel molds and children’s rides. In 1974 Beverly Park closed. In the1980s Bradley and Kaye went out of business. In 1987 Chance Amusements acquired the Bradley and Kaye assets. Much more history on Bradley here. David Bradley passed away in 1988.
Here’s a photo of a similar jeep in action at the Fort Wayne zoo. Note it operates on a guided track (from pinterest).
Here’s another action shot from Pinterest:
