Many of you may have seen the photo at the bottom of this post which has been floating around the internet in the last few years showing the vertical parking lot. We were fortunate to find the British Pathé News Reel film seen above, which finally demonstrates it in action for us. The Vertical Automatic Parking Lot was developed by the Westinghouse Electric Company and first tested in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before being set up as a commercial enterprise in the Chicago Loop during 1932 . You can see it work and hear a full explanation of it’s operation in the film.

Just above in the first two thumbnails are the full details of a test that was published in the January, 1932 issue of the Everyday Science and Mechanics. On the right, above, is an Ohio inventor’s proposal for a revolving circular steel tower designed along the same principal as a Lazy Susan. Cars were to be raised to the proper height on a vertical elevator set up on the side of the revolving floors. Both articles are courtesy of Modern Mechanix. You can also view a much smaller and later plan called Sky Parking here on The Old Motor.