History of Pedal Toys

Every Kid's Dream Toy At the turn or the 20th century, pedal cars were priority on the kid wish list, but in families of low to average means, these wishes were rarely fulfilled. The top manufacturers of pedal cars were American National, Gendron, Steelcraft, Garton, and Toledo Wheel. Wood-frame pedal vehicles of the early 1900s gave way to larger, heavier metal pedal cars. That industry reached its peak years around 1930. Production of metal cars ceased in the mid '40s when all spare metal went to the war effort. Pedal vehicle production soared in the '50s and '60s with models that mirrored the car industry's designs; supply met demands, and prices aligned with incomes to make pedal cars more attainable than ever. In 1954, Garton offered the Kidillac Deluxe pedal car with battery-operated lights, and Cadillac ran a promotion giving away a Kidillac with the purchase of a new Cadillac.

For Everything There Is a Season
Pedal vehicles boasted custom paint, white wall tires, windshields, horns, lights - the '60s extended the pedal car market to include pedal airplanes, trucks, tractors, fire engines, and police cars. The 1965 Mustang was an American dream; from 1965-1970, the 1965 Mustang Pedal Car was manufactured and became part of a Ford Motor company promotion; 93,000 of these pedal cars were sold at dealerships for $12.95 (and retailed for $25) the first year.

Plastic took over in the '70s; production of metal pedal vehicles stopped and America's love affair with pedal toys took a nosedive. Plastic pedal cars are still manufactured, but there is a new generation of steel pedal toys, and they are being enjoyed by adult collectors as well as by children. Extra rugged axles, all-steel step-through chassis, as well as built-to-last base seats, metal steering racks, and pedal mechanisms promise years of dependable play. Solid and sealed pressed bearings provide a smooth riding toy that will warm nostalgic hearts 50 more years into the future.