Collecting Vintage Pedal Cars HD

Pedal cars have been around almost as long as the real thing. When the Model T was introduced, pedal car versions were brought out almost immediately and they featured a steel body molded to look like the real thing, and a wood chassis and wheels with rubber tires. For the first few decades of their manufacture, pedal cars were, unsurprisingly, quite expensive. Only the affluent could afford them, and although they had proven to be very popular, particularly during the 20s and 30s, production slowed significantly in the 1940s as a result of the need to redirect metal toward the war effort. In fact, from 1943 to 1945 there were no pedal cars made at all. The cars resurfaced again in the 1950s and 60s and the booming economy meant they could now be found in major department stores and large toy shops. With wider sales came more elaborate features, and many of the chain-driven pedal cars from this era had workable parts such as lights and wipers, white-wall tyres, custom paint jobs, hood ornaments, and movable windshields, and fancy chrome detailing. They were flash little numbers that were still fairly pricey but not unattainable. The British Junior Forty (J40), brought out by the Austin Motor Company in the 1950s, featured pressed steel fabrication, a dummy engine beneath the bonnet, electric lighting and horn, realistic dashboard details, pneumatic tyres, an opening boot, and chrome-plated brightwork. Nice. In America, there was the Kidillac, a neato mini version of the Cadillac, as well as mini Chevys, Thunderbirds, Corvettes, and more. In Australia Cyclops Toys also manufactured pedal car versions of American cars. In the 1970s, quality took a dip, and the vast majority of cars were made from plastic rather than metal. Not surprisingly, the plastic version failed to conjure the same authentic feel. The little cars no longer resembled real ones, so they faded from view for a while.