| f the most popular children's toys throughout the | | | | result they didnt have any brakes (making them |
| decades has always been the pedal car. Pedal | | | | dangerous to play with on slopes) and were also |
| cars are replicas of automobiles and were hugely | | | | painted with lead based paint. |
| popular toys from the 1890s right through the | | | | During the 1960s, the exciting field of exploration |
| 1970s and still to the modern day. They used to | | | | captured the mind's of the country's youth and as |
| be operated with the use of foot pedals, much in | | | | a result interest in toy pedal cars started to wane |
| the same way that bicycles are and gave children | | | | slightly. At this time new safety standards were |
| the feeling that they were driving a real car. | | | | toys were starting to be introduced and this had |
| Unfortunately these pedal cars are no longer sold | | | | the knock on effect of making these toys less |
| today, having been replaced by their electric | | | | cost-effective to manufacture. By the time the |
| counterparts however they are still readily | | | | 1970s arrived, plastic pedal toys had made the |
| available on the collector's market. | | | | pedal car as we knew it virtually obsolete. |
| Pedal cars were first manufactured in the 1890s | | | | As a result of all this, pedal cars have now |
| when they arrived hot on the heels of the first | | | | become something of a collector's item. There |
| actual automobiles. At the time they were toys | | | | are many auction sites and specialist toy retailers |
| that were bought solely for children of more | | | | that still offer classic pedal toy cars and many |
| prosperous families simply due to their high price. | | | | have remained in excellent condition because of |
| This trend continued right through to the great | | | | the quality of the materials combined with the |
| depression and production became even more | | | | solid workmanship that went into their |
| limited during world war 2 due to the fact that | | | | construction. |
| metal was needed to support the war effort. | | | | According to some classic toy specialists, one of |
| Pedal cars started to experience a boost in | | | | the most popular toy pedal car models was the |
| popularity when the war ended in the 1950s and | | | | 1965 Ford Mustang, which was a first year |
| the country experienced an economic boom. | | | | replication of that classic Ford Vehicle. Other |
| Instead of being purely pedal powered, these new | | | | hugely popular models included the Ford Model T, |
| models were also chain-driven and were much | | | | police pedal cars, race cars and of course the fire |
| more realistic due to the incorporation of features | | | | engine. Depending on their condition, pedal cars |
| suchas headlights, a horn and even custom paint | | | | can fetch a range of prices from under |
| jobs. It was during this era that other types of | | | | £150 to well over £300. There will |
| pedal toys such as planes and trucks were | | | | always be a place in the heart of classic toy |
| introduced. Early models of pedal cars didnt have | | | | enthusiasts as they are a reminder of simpler |
| any safety standards to adhere to and as a | | | | times. |