Pedal Cars

About Antique Pedal Cars

Pedal cars for children first appeared in the late 1880s, when Karl Benz introduced his three-wheel Patent Motorwagen for adults. By the early 1900s, pedal cars were widespread, especially in the United States, England, France, and Australia.

One of the first companies to make three-wheel velocipedes for children was Whitney Reed, whose wooden horse pulling a sulky is a classic of the early form—the horse’s jointed legs moved when the operator pushed the pedals. Because automobiles are the main type of pedal toy sought by collectors, pedal toys like the early Whitney Reeds can be surprisingly easy to acquire...

Around the same time, Butler Brothers was making “Juvenile Steel Automobiles,” which is how the company described the pedal cars in its catalog. These cars had sheet-steel bodies, open steering systems and bottoms, and double-spoke wheels. Models included the Scorcher, the Wizard, and the Speedwell. The pedal version of the best-selling Ford Model T was especially popular among kids, and is highly prized today.

Before the war, the Bon Marché in Paris had been selling pedal cars designed after Grand Prix Peugeots. After the war, French toy maker Eureka continued this trend, making pedal cars fashioned after Peugeots, as well as Renaults and the Citroen Rosalie.

The U.K.’s Lines Bros offered its customers 30 pedal cars in its 1937/38 catalog, from the basic Prince, which was designed for 2-to-4-year olds, to the Electric Rolls, which had a wooden body and a 12-volt electric motor driving the rear axle. Naturally the car had working brakes and headlights, real Dunlop tires (including a spare), and chrome-plated rims. As for its performance, it could travel 12 to 15 miles on a single charge and had a top speed of 5 mph.

The heyday for pedal cars in the United States occurred between the World Wars. For example, pedal cars were fixtures in Sears catalogs. Unfortunately, they could only be sent to customers who lived near railroad tracks because mailing a steel car, even a small one, was simply not possible. Other companies that made pedal cars in the ’20s and ’30s included American National Automobiles of Toledo and Steelcraft of Murray, both based in Ohio.

Among other products, Steelcraft made GMC pedal trucks, as well as Mack dumptrucks, Model T Roadsters, Dodge Runabouts, and a Chrysler Roadster, which had bullet-shaped headlights and rubber tires. Steelcraft’s Chrysler was 50-inches long, and could be yours for only $31.50.

Today these prices sound cheap, but the toys were not cheaply made. In fact, they were often as lavishly detailed as the real things. The steel was typically enameled to ensure rich colors, while pedals were adjustable to give young drivers a comfortable ride. Like the cars that adults drove, models ranged from economy (Whippet) to luxury (Studebaker). On the better models, steering wheels and other solid parts were custom cast.

After World War II, the J-40 (or Junior Forty) made by Lines Bros. in Wales by retired miners and modeled after the 1949 Austin A-40 was probably the most popular pedal car in England. In the 1950s, the company offered 33 pressed-steel-body pedal cars, its heavily chromed Tri-ang Centurian being the top of the line.

By the early 1960s, the company experimented with novelty cars such as the Noddy, which was like a small go-kart, but as the decade progressed it reverted back to pedal cars based on real automobiles such as the MG Midget.

Pedal cars were also popular in Australia. In fact, they have such a rich history there that the government recently issued a series of toy-theme stamps, including one with a red Cyclops pedal car from 1953. Though based in Australia, many of Cyclops’s pedal car designs were based on U.S. models and manufacturers, from Buick and Chevrolet, to Pontiac and Packard.

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1947 Chain Drive Garton Hot Rod Pedal Car . Original $355.00 Ends in 15 hours 14 bids 56 watchers
Murray Pedal Car$265.01 Ends in 10 hours 12 bids 29 watchers
Vtg 50s Murray Ratrod Pedal Car Amf Jet-age Comet Chevy$158.05 Ends Sunday 7 bids 62 watchers
Murray Fire Truck Flat Face Pedal Car 502.86005$150.00 Ends in 14 hours 5 bids 32 watchers
1956 Amf Jet Ace Pedal Car,new In Box,never Assembled$132.50 Ends Saturday 4 bids 62 watchers
Vintage John Deere Pedal Car Truck Tractor & Trailer $108.49 Ends Wednesday 18 bids 52 watchers
Kids Pedal Car$107.50 Ends Thursday 2 bids 10 watchers
1953 Bmc Midget Sprint Race Car Metal Pedal Car Body$103.51 Ends Sunday 2 bids 16 watchers
Old - Old Pedal Car- - - -possibly Pre-war???$102.55 Ends Friday 6 bids 39 watchers
Sadface Yellow Dump Truck Pedal Car$102.50 Ends Monday 2 bids 30 watchers
1941 Chrysler Steelcraft Metal Pedal Car Body Murray$100.01 Ends Sunday 2 bids 24 watchers
1993 Weinermobile Pedal Car$86.00 Ends in 20 hours 9 bids 26 watchers
Restored 1950's Murray Trac Pedal Car Tractor & Wagon$77.00 Ends Thursday 19 bids 51 watchers
1950's Murray Pedal Car Ranch Wagon Ball Bearing Orig$76.00 Ends Thursday 10 bids 58 watchers
Hot Rod Pedal Car - New In Box - No Reserve!!!$61.00 Ends Thursday 2 bids 7 watchers
Instep 2008 Hot Rod Pedal Car Black / Red-yellow Flames$59.99 Ends in 10 hours 1 bid 16 watchers
Antique Murray Ohio Fire Engine Truck Chief Pedal Car $58.99 Ends in 12 hours 5 bids 48 watchers
Pedal Car Books-vol's 1 Thru 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!$56.01 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 6 watchers
Vtg 50s Murray Hot Rod Pedal Car Tractor Tricycle Trike$51.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 24 watchers
?? Pedal Car Black Flamed Ride On Toy Metal Pedal Car$50.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 10 watchers
Pedal Car "boy With Pink Car" Cookie Jar Mib $49.99 Ends Saturday 1 bid 2 watchers
Vintage Old Murray Sad Face Dump Truck Pedal Car $49.99 Ends Monday 1 bid 14 watchers
Vintage Xtremely Rare Apache Mach One Mustang Pedal Car$46.99 Ends Wednesday 8 bids 31 watchers
Vintage 1965 Vw Junior Sportster Pedal Car$46.00 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 16 watchers
Unused Helmet Pedal Car Goggles Boy Pilot Vintage Old$39.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 3 watchers
U-haul Pedal Car Trailer$34.33 Ends Sunday 4 bids 13 watchers
Original Gendron American National Pedal Car Front End$34.00 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 13 watchers
Pedal Cars Book-chasing The Kidillac$28.60 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 5 watchers
Antique Pedal Car Body$28.23 Ends Sunday 2 bids 13 watchers
Volkswagon Beetle Pedal Car Junior Sportster $26.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 7 watchers
Vintage Pedal Car Tractor $25.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 3 watchers
Vintage Fire Truck Pedal Car Toy Metal Antique$24.99 Ends in 17 hours 1 bid 8 watchers
Vintage Pedal Car Pull Wagon Maybe 4 John Deere Tractor$20.50 Ends Sunday 3 bids 21 watchers
Choice Old 1960s Murray Pedal Car Fire Engine Vintage$20.50 Ends Thursday 4 bids 32 watchers
2000 Bmw Z3 Pedal Car$20.50 Ends Thursday 8 bids 14 watchers
Bmc Pedal Car Hubcaps (4) Used$20.50 Ends Wednesday 6 bids 11 watchers
Jaguar Pedal Car With Box And Instructions - Rare Find!$20.50 Ends Sunday 4 bids 22 watchers
Texaco 1920s Botnick Diecast Pedal Car Racer Red L@@k$15.61 Ends in 18 hours 8 bids 9 watchers
Nib Coke Coca Cola Toy Pedal Car With Cooler Trailer$15.56 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 7 watchers
Oliver / Hershey Metal Gendron Pedal Car +trailer L@@k $15.50 Ends in 17 hours 4 bids 7 watchers
4 Used Original Murray Pedal Car Hubcaps$15.50 Ends Saturday 4 bids 7 watchers
Pedal Car Books-2 Ea. Collectors Must Have$15.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 7 watchers
Ladders For Antique Pedal Car Fire Truck / Pair Vintage$12.50 Ends Saturday 3 bids 4 watchers
Diecast Toy Car Gearbox Pedal Car Co. Ford$10.50 Ends Thursday 2 bids 2 watchers
Snap-on 1940 1/16 Pedal Car Wrecker Bank$10.50 Ends Friday 5 bids 5 watchers
Early Vintage Original Murray Pedal Car Steering Wheel$10.49 Ends Thursday 2 bids 22 watchers
Pedal Fire Truck Car Original Brass Bell Hood Mount$9.99 Ends in 12 hours 2 bids 6 watchers
Old Antique Pedal Car Or Pedal Cart ~~~l@@k~~~$9.99 Ends Monday 1 bid 2 watchers
Lot Of (4) Different Texaco Die-cast Pedal Cars 1/12$6.99 Ends Saturday 2 bids 2 watchers
1920 Pc Rp Children Toy Pedal Car Studland Dorset $6.06 Ends Monday 1 bid 2 watchers
Postcard Boy On A Pedal Car$5.95 Ends Wednesday 1 bid
Antique Pedal Car Body$5.50 Ends Sunday 2 bids 4 watchers
Pedal Car Tail Light?$5.00 Ends Saturday 1 bid 4 watchers

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Recent News: Pedal Cars

Source: Google News

Flintstone Pedal Car Tops All Mileage and Safety Lists
The Spoof (satire), March 13th

Apparently the fabled cartoon family had it right all along, basing their primary mode of transportation on foot power and renewable materials...Read more

Tricks of the antique trade
Pocono Record, March 12th

One of my audience members — a woman in her late 60s — recounted how she went to an auction house to inquire about selling her antique pedal car...Read more

1960's winter Wednesday jinx
Morganton News Herald, March 12th

I'm trying to drive a pedal car and not making very good progress. Then as now, the schools needed to make up for lost time. They cancelled the Easter...Read more

Nicholas Auctions
Antiques and Arts Weekly, March 9th

NY, comes a peddle car restorator's dream; boxes of pedal car parts; 8 pedal car frames; boxes of wooden & wire spoked wheels; tractor frames; wagons;...Read more

Little Golden Books, the ubiquitous icon of children's readership
San Francisco Chronicle (blog), March 9th

Not too far away was the metal pedal car I shared with my older brother and the five siblings that would follow. At age 18 my mother was told that she would...Read more

HumanCar aims for a healthy planet with healthy drivers
Gizmag, March 1st

By Darren Quick At first glance it might look a bit like an elongated pedal car for kids, but its designers are convinced the HumanCar Imagine PS NEV is a...Read more

Sponsorship gets the British Pedal Car Grand Prix wheels in motion
Bournemouth Daily Echo, February 21st

By Timothy John » THRILL-a-minute racing returns to the streets of Ringwood on Sunday, July 11, with the 23rd British Pedal Car Grand Prix...Read more

Pile the kids in the car for this outing
Omaha World-Herald, February 18th

“A pedal car, to me, shows a lot of artistic design: the paint schemes, the tires, the amenities,” Smith said. “They would have headlights, tail lights,...Read more

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