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January 15, 2020 01:24 PM

Wacky World of Rubber: Giant Uniroyal Tire gets 'Simpsons' shoutout

Catherine Kavanaugh
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    The landmark Giant Uniroyal Tire near Detroit made a quick appearance in "The Simpsons" on Jan. 5 when Milhouse Van Houten, who continues to crush on his best friend's sister, Lisa Simpson, showed her the plans he has for their wedding.

    In the middle of the cartoon's 673rd episode, the animated fourth-grader holds up a picture he drew of himself in a tuxedo standing next to a smiling Lisa holding a bouquet of flowers in a wedding gown and veil.

    "You're so happy," Milhouse tells Lisa as he flips the page to the next drawing in his notebook while they talk outside Springfield Elementary School.

    "And, here's us on our honeymoon," he continues. "Two days in Ohio, two days in Michigan and booyah up to Ontario for some international flavor."

    The second drawing shows the pair in a car with a just-married sign on the door as they pass the Giant Uniroyal Tire, which stands 80-feet tall along I-94 in Allen Park, Mich., just outside of Detroit.

    The largest tire model ever built started out as a Ferris wheel with 24 gondolas for attendees of the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. More than 2 million people took a ride on the popular attraction, including Jacqueline Kennedy and her children and the Shah of Iran.

    After the fair, the structure was taken down and shipped by rail in 188 sections to Allen Park, where Uniroyal Inc. had a sales office. The tire was reassembled without the gondolas along a stretch of highway not far from Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

    The tire has loomed over the Detroit gateway ever since, standing not only as a symbol to Uniroyal's 128-year heritage, but welcoming visitors to Detroit—even if they're, d'oh, just passing through to honeymoon in Canada.

    Catherine Kavanaugh, recently joined the Rubber & Plastics News staff. Previously, she served as writer for Plastics News, a sister publication of RPN. Follow her on Twitter: @CatherineKav

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