PRESTON & BARBIERI

Preston & Barbieri was founded in 2000 when two Italian manufacturers, Preston and Barbieri Rides, merged. Barbieri Rides was founded in Italy in 1954 and initially specialised in producing bumper cars. The company soon began increasing its product range, offering other traditional attractions such as Ferris Wheels and Carousels. Preston was a consortium consisting of amusement industry businesspeople. Following the merger in 2000, Preston & Barbieri’s large portfolio nowadays contains 50 different ride types. In 2009, Preston & Barbieri purchased the technical drawings from defunct Italian ride company L&T Systems.

Preston & Barbieri’s First Coaster

The first coaster created by Barbieri was Cosmic Coaster, a Wacky Worm children’s coaster at World’s of Fun, Kansas, USA. Cosmic Coaster opened in 1993 and was originally called “Wacky Worm”. The park changed its name in 2001. The first coaster to be built by the then-newly formed Preston & Barbieri was another Wacky Worm at Sofia Land in Bulgaria.

DOUBLE RACE

The Double Race Coaster is a racing/dueling type coaster. Using a Möbius loop track, two trains leave the station side-by-side on seemingly separate tracks. Throughout the ride experience, the two trains race alongside one another and duel on occasion. One train will typically beat the other back to the station, depending on the load weight of the entire train. Due to the Möbius loop track, the trains appear to have switched sides when they return to the station. Preston & Barbieri’s first Double Race Coaster, Nitro, opened in 2010 at Dennlys Parc in France.

Example:

Nitro at Dennlys Parc, France See also: Möbius Loop Coaster

FAMILY/MINI COASTER

The remainder of Preston & Barbieri’s coaster production is of the family and kiddie variety most suited for young children. The first Family Coaster to open was Aile Treni at ParkAntep in the Netherlands. The Coaster Mini is a smaller variation of the company’s Family Coaster, typically found in indoor Family Entertainment Centres or in park areas for young children. The first Coaster Mini, Stampbanan, opened in 2013 at Liseberg in Sweden.

Other information

Preston & Barbieri also produce Ferris Wheels, Splash Battles, log flumes, train rides, water slides, and thrill tower rides. Preston & Barbieri’s bumper cars are very popular with theme park owners; chances are if a rider has been on a bumper car, they have been on a Preston & Barbieri version.

Manufacturer Contact Details

Preston & Barbieri Via Cocchi,19 Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna, Italy Telephone: +39 0522 925 211 Website