Classic Toys | Pedal Cars

Throughout the generations pedal cars have been extremely popular and a firm favourite among children of all ages.

We had one when we were younger and one of our most treasured memories was peddling our little sister around as she smiled in the tiny passenger seat of our shiny blue pedal car. We felt so grown up driving around like Mum and Dad.

Generations before us have had similar experiences and memories of pedal cars, as nearly every child either owned one or knew someone that did. Pedal cars go all the way back to the 1890s, when the automobile made its way to the streets. The pedal car soon followed.

Just like automobiles, the pedal car was only for the wealthy families of the time, but it was still on every child’s wish list. As the Great Depression loomed most families who could not afford the shiny metal pedal car made their own, and so was born the billy cart, usually made out of wood and other household materials, and they had just as much fun!

Fun Fact – Like many toys during the war, pedal cars stopped being produced as the metal was directed to the supplies for the war.

The post-war prosperity brought a new automobile to every driveway. Lots of children wanted a shiny metal pedal car to match their parents. Garton Kidillac deluxe cars from the Garton Toy Company, included a battery powered head and tail lights and were advertised in toy catalogues for $36.95 in 1954. In the same catalogue, $11.98 would get you a pedal and rod driven Murray Champion Sports Car.

Fun Fact – During the late 1930s some pedal cars made by U.R. Lines Bro’s were decked out with real Dunlop tyres, including a spare.

The pedal cars were not cheap to make as they had lavish details and the steel was typically enameled to ensure the rich and vibrant colours. In some models the pedals were even adjustable with movable windshields and rag-tops to ensure a more comfortable ride for the little racers. Models ranged from economy to luxury, just like their parent’s cars.

Fun Fact – The Garton Kidillac was even given away by car salesmen as a sweetener to buyers of the new Cadillac.

After the huge success and popularity that pedal cars attracted, companies started to manufacture pedal planes, trucks, trains and tricycles.

The 1970s saw plastic pedal cars being parked in driveways as new safety standards for metal cars were introduced, sadly leading to the end of the manufacture of ride-on metal cars.

When the company Murray stopped manufacturing pedal cars they moved onto the next big thing – the power lawn mower.

Fun Fact – The Australian Government released a stamp with a red Cyclops pedal car from 1953 as they were so popular here in Australia.

Pedal cars are still very popular today but sadly in today’s ‘throw – away society’ they’re now mostly made of plastic and mass produced. Tin pedal cars are still sought after however as a special big-ticket item or a collector’s item. They remain a classic with the same stylish appeal that they had many years ago but they’re now much harder to come by.

Here at The Vintage Toy Box we have a beautiful line of vintage inspired tin pedal cars in-store so you can relive memories of your past and allow your children to experience the hours of fun you had as a child.

Classic Toys | Tin Toys - A Step Back Through Time

Some of the most collectible toys in the world are old tin toys. Tin toys are made out of tinplate and often motorised and colourfully painted to resemble characters or vehicles, such as toy trains, cars, and other motorised vehicles.

Many of the early tinplate toy makers were based in Germany with companies such as Bing & Schoenner and Issmayer being leaders in their industry in the 1860s through to the early 1900s.

Germany remained the major producer of tin toys into the early 20th century. The most famous manufacturer being Ernst Paul Lehmann, who produced such wonderful tin toys in Brandenberg, Germany from the 1880s to the 1930s.  Lehmann today has a worldwide following of avid Lehmann tin toy collectors who often collaborate to track down rare toys from his vast collection.

France and England soon jumped onto the production of these popular toys, leading to a surge in what would become known as the “Penny Toy”, with thousands of tin toys flooding the market.

Production of tin toys in the United States only boomed much later, and it wasn’t until after World War I, when consumers were less enthusiastic about buying German products that the US found its way. Production soon however overtook that of their European counterparts, with cheap & plentiful resources contributing towards more favourable manufacturing costs.

Louis Marx & Company was the largest American tin toy manufacturer during this era, operating from 1919 to 1978. Marx produced a huge number of tin toy designs, producing enormous amounts to keep prices down. The company produced so many designs that the toys themselves were often imprinted with the slogan, "One of the many Marx toys, have you all of them?".  Toys included tinplate buildings, tin toys, tin soldiers, play sets, toy dinosaurs, mechanical toys, toy guns, action figures, dolls, doll houses, toy cars and trucks, and trains.

Due to the re-allocation of resources, the production of tin toys ceased during World War II, and many toy manufacturing factories were taken over for arms and munitions manufacture. Many shut down permanently and never went back into business after the war.  Japan began producing enormous number of tin toys, and due to reduced competition in Europe soon became the world leader in tin toy manufacturing.  

Classic Retro Toys

Classic retro toys are still loved by kids of today!

The first thought that often comes to mind on hearing the phrase retro toys is that they no longer exist anymore – that they are toys of yesteryear.  This however is far from true. They have become a lifeline for many kids in today’s generation, and likely will be for every generation to come.  The distinctive reasons as to why these toys are still so popular are that these toys provide excellent quality entertainment, are built to last, involve simple concepts, encourage the imagination, and since they are low technology, they are very easy to use. 

Retro toys are a creative outlet for many kids in today’s modern, busy world.

The toys of modern day are built to be disposed, in our throwaway plastic society – the noisier, the faster, the brighter, the better.  But this comes with a great cost, to society, to the land, to the air that we breathe, to future generations.  Toys are no longer durable and designed to be passed down from generation to generation.  Classic, traditional toys stand the test of time, and are a wonderful  way to conjure up old memories. They are one of the most fun ways of remembering past days of your own childhood.

Here are a few classic retro toys which have stood the test of time.

Marbles

This is a classic game which is still going strong today. It can be best played when a group of friends get together to have marble competitions. It is one of the best ways to build your child’s hand-eye co-ordination and turn-taking skills. The game never gets old. Basically, it consists of a collection of round coloured glass beads. So simple!

Yo-yo

These are one of the most classic retro toys which are loved by kids of all ages. They are easy to play with and are great fun. The toy contains an axle which connects two disks and a long length of string which is looped around the axle. You have to throw the yo-yo, spin and unwind the string and again look it back in its previous form. Hours of fun, and so many tricks that can be performed.

Frisbee

It is one of the best toys for kids to get engaged in some sort of physical activity. This game can be played for hours in the back yard, on the beach or on a camping trip with friends & family.  This toy has never gone out of favour over the decades. 

Matchbox & Dinky cars

These retro collections of cars and trucks are one of the biggest hits among kids. Children have been drawn to these collections for decades. If you present your child with anything from these collections, they are sure to love it, and you will see them spending most of theirs time with those set of wheels. 

If you want to surprise your kids with a gift, retro toys are the best way to go about it.