SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — There’s always the chance a ride in Tony Farley’s black-and-white 1961 Ford Galaxie will last longer than the advertised 20 minutes.
The Clark County resident has a habit of getting pulled over — funny considering the car is painted to look like it belongs to the sheriff’s department of the fictional TV town of Mayberry. One time, a police officer stopped him “and wanted to know if he could run home and grab his camera,” Farley said. Another time, a state patrolman, who evidently didn’t watch many “Mayberry” reruns, lectured him about how it was illegal to pose as a cop.
Farley, a diehard “Andy Griffith Show” fan, recently started a part-time business in which he gives country rides in his Galaxie — a spot-on replica of Sheriff Andy Taylor’s squad car on the classic show. “The one on the show was actually flat black and flat white paint,” Farley noted. “They didn’t want the glare.”
Farley will have his car available for $20 rides from 2 to 6 p.m. May 12 and 1 to 5 p.m. May 20 at Clifton Mill, and from 2 to 6 p.m. May 13 and May 19 at Young’s Jersey Dairy. Rides also can be booked via MyMayberryRide.com. The car, which Farley bought 10 years ago for $1,575 and restored, has been graced by many actors who appeared on the show.
To date, 33 actors, from the late Don Knotts to Jim Nabors, have autographed the car’s visors.
About the Author
