History of Pedal Cars, from the 1890's and on. 

Shortly after the appearance of the automobile came the pedal car.  These kid's versions of bigger autos go back to the 1890s, when versions were made to resemble real cars that were around at the time.  However, early pedal cars were only for kids with wealthy parents, especially during the Great Depression.  Homemade riding toys were more common if your family wasn't as well off. That means that during the 20s and 30s, pedal cars were made for the children of the rich.  Since these toys used a lot of metal, production slacked off and reached zero during World War II, when metal goods were all directed toward the war effort.  After the war, chain driven pedal cars made a big comeback, and were available in most major stores. 

There are many different models and colours of pedal cars from the 1920s through the 1960s.  They were made to imitate the auto world's biggest trends, so they featured windows that really moved, working horns and lights, real chrome, hood ornaments, white wall tires and custom paint.  Many were metal pedal cars, but later on, plastic became a more common materials.  Many pedal cars are models of the real thing, down to the same model year. 

Pedal cars weren't the only vehicles on the market, too.  Pedal toy makers realized that their products were desired by an enormous market, and soon expanded to pedal planes, trains, trucks and more.  These toys are still trendy, too.  Collectors are picking up these older pedal toys and keeping them for their emotional attachment and monetary value. Now, there are several different ways to own a pedal car.  There are the old, collectible metal pedal cars, as well as new versions and pedal car kits for people who want to purchase one of these great toys for their children, or as decoration, without the danger of destroying an antique.  They aren't quite the real thing, however, and collectors will prefer original pedal cars from the 1920s through the 1960s.

Metal pedal cars went out of production as the 1960s brought more plastics, higher toy safety standards and a fascination with air and space travel.  That doesn't mean that pedal cars weren't still created, but they stopped looking just like adult vehicles.  Pedal cars came into the world almost as soon as the automobile, but began their decline when plastic was introduced.  They soon became much less popular and were no longer the toy for most kids to have. Quality metal pedal cars are still being produced, largely in Europe, and are enjoying something of a revival, particularly through specialist high street shops and online retailers. Pedal fire engines regularly top the poll of favourite pedal toys.  

This is an original news article © The Kids Window

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