From 1989, until its demolition on May 2, 2008, it was located in the car park of Cermak Plaza shopping center, at the corner of Cermak Road and Harlem Avenue (
Illinois Route 43) in
Berwyn, Illinois. It was originally commissioned by the shopping center developer and owner, David Bermant, a collector of modern art who also donated his
BMW car to be placed second from the top of the sculpture. Shuler himself owned the red 1967 VW Beetle that crowned the sculpture. The foundation of the sculpture reached nearly 30 feet into the ground; the cost of erecting it was over $75,000. The sculpture was featured in the 1992 film ''
Wayne's World, on the cover of a book, on postcards, state tourist brochures, and maps. On August 28, 2007, it was featured in the syndicated comic strip Zippy the Pinhead''. The impaled cars on the spindle, from top to bottom, were: • 1967
Volkswagen Beetle, red • 1976
BMW 2002, silver blue; license plate "DAVE" • 1981
Ford Escort, blue • 1973
Capri, green • 1978
Ford Mustang II, white over blue • 1981
Pontiac Grand Prix, maroon or burgundy • 1980 or 1979
Ford LTD, light yellow • 1981 or 1979
Mercury Grand Marquis, black Although the Pop Art installation was emblematic of Berwyn for two decades, it was not universally loved in its hometown. Just the presentation of the plans for its erection drew scathing debate in the city council, although no permit was really needed for artwork erected on private property. Throughout its existence, the sculpture was controversial amongst Berwyn residents, and in 1990 they voted overwhelmingly for it to be removed. However, the mayor of Berwyn described the sculpture as "icon in our community", On July 27, 2007, Chicago
Critical Mass participants rode to
Spindle in an effort to raise awareness of the sculpture. About 2,000 cyclists made the 14.8 mile trek from
Daley Plaza in
The Loop in support of the artwork. On August 1, 2007, radio station
WLUP interviewed the Berwyn mayor; the main topic of discussion was
Spindle. He stated that the sculpture's removal had been pushed to September 2007, and that it would most likely be moved down the street. The sculpture was even made available for purchase in an
eBay auction, which ended April 17, 2008 with no bids. On May 2, 2008, Robinette Demolition disassembled
Spindle. A large crowd stood near the site, taking pictures. The top two cars were removed from the spike by a crane, and stored for future use. The base of the spindle was then cut, and the spindle (along with the remaining cars) was pushed over with a crane and later removed. However, if sufficient funds can be raised, a new modified
Spindle – featuring the old top two cars – may yet be erected. A group backed by the Berwyn
Route 66 Museum and Berwyn Arts Council took possession of the two cars in 2012, along with a pole from a former Anderson Ford sign, with the intention of rebuilding a slightly-shortened Spindle in the museum's parking lot. A model of this sculpture can be seen at
Stratford Square Mall in
Bloomingdale by the entrance to the men's restroom in the former Sears wing. == See also ==