About Pedal Cars

"A pedal car is a quadracycle. The Mochet Velocar seems to be the earliest example. Although originally designed for adult transportation, the popularization of motorized vehicles resulted in most modern pedal cars being made mostly for children and adult recreation."^[4]

Pedal car history goes back to the 1890's. Early pedal cars reflected the design of their larger gasoline driven counterparts. They often didn't come with lights and, before the self starter engine became standard, they had cranks on the front.

Unfortunately their cost meant the manufactured models were available only to the wealthy. By the 1920’s pedal car makers adopted automobile industry assembly line production methods and they became more affordable and popular. By the 1950's, with the postwar prosperity which brought a brand-new automobile to every driveway, pedal cars were within reach of most kids and available in all major stores.

Later pedal cars were produced in many different models and colors mimicking the popular cars of that time. They featured working lights and horns, moveable windshields and ragtops, chrome detailing and hood ornaments, and white wall tires and custom paint jobs.

In the 1960s, a fascination with space and air travel and the advent of plastics brought an end to widespread metal pedal car production. The introduction of cheap plastic toys in the 1970's (in particular, Rubbermaid’s plastic Little Tikes Cozy Coupe in 1979) sealed the fate of the all-metal, old-style pedal car.

Luckily nostalgia, quality and workmanship prevailed and pedal cars have once again become very popular toys that will last a lifetime!

Sources:

1. National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
2. VIP Kids
3. Ride on Toys
4. Wikipedia