Pedal cars and ride on toys

[Arran]

I mentioned in the discussion “things that kids don't have anymore” that pedal cars and other (plastic) ride on toys regularly feature in photos of young children (and some even as old as 5 or 6) playing out in the street or in parks from the 1970s to the early 1980s. They are far less common today although they are still being manufactured and sold. Even back in the 1990s pedal cars were uncommon, in my locality at least, and there can't have been more than one or two kids in my reception class who had one at home.

What was the reason why pedal cars were significantly more popular in the 1970s than in the 1990s through to today? What factor resulted in their decline in popularity?

[tex]

I'm 61 years old and still remember my ride on huckleberry hound as a five year old, some old pedal cars are worth serious money today and there are collectors looking out for them. I guess the decline in popularity was down to the influx of hand held games like nintendo which caught the imagination of the kids of the time plus i think playing outdoors was out of favour with parents prefering to keep there kids where they could see them?

[Arran]

I guess the decline in popularity was down to the influx of hand held games like nintendo which caught the imagination of the kids of the time plus i think playing outdoors was out of favour with parents prefering to keep there kids where they could see them?

Pedal cars had largely gone out of fashion before hand held games from Nintendo etc. became popular.

I have asked around about the rise and demise of pedal cars but I still don't have a very clear answer. One explanation is that pedal cars have been replaced by electric cars but they seem far less common from the 1990s to today than pedal cars were in the 1960s and 70s. Another explanation is that pedal cars date from an era when real cars were a luxury item for well off people, but once cars started to become ubiquitous commodities in the 1970s then kids and parents lost interest in pedal cars.

Was it usual back in the 1960s and 70s for most kids who owned a pedal car to also own a bike, or did they tend to get a bike after they outgrew the pedal car?

[Richard1978]

I had a pedal car when I was young which I outgrew after a few years & couldn't pedal any more.

Pedal Go-Karts seemed to be fairly popular in the 1980s, my friend had 2 & eventually my parents got me a second hand one for my 8th birthday.

[Arran]

Kettcar go-karts prominently feature in toy sections of catalogues from the 1980s, so people must have been buying them in sufficient numbers.

They are a German machine designed to look like a go-kart rather than a car, designed for children in an age group that normally ride 2 wheel bikes. Pedal cars that look like cars are usually intended for children 2 to 4 years old. I think that the Kettcar and pedal cars largely evolved along two different lines.

Cosy Coupe was popular during the 1980s (and is still popular today) but it doesn't have pedals.

[Richard1978]

Kettcar go-karts prominently feature in toy sections of catalogues from the 1980s, so people must have been buying them in sufficient numbers.

They are a German machine designed to look like a go-kart rather than a car, designed for children in an age group that normally ride 2 wheel bikes. Pedal cars that look like cars are usually intended for children 2 to 4 years old. I think that the Kettcar and pedal cars largely evolved along two different lines.

Cosy Coupe was popular during the 1980s (and is still popular today) but it doesn't have pedals.

Yes you are right. The Cosy Coupe doesn't have the steering wheel connected to the front wheels either.

[Arran]

There are also pedal powered tractors and bulldozers with moving shovels.

[Richard1978]

There are also pedal powered tractors and bulldozers with moving shovels.

I remember a few families had those tricycle tractors when I was young.

[Arran]

AA tow truck with very angular bodystyling. The crane looks like it works and could be used to tow another pedal car with.

[Richard1978]

I remember there was a similar police car.

[Arran]

I have seen pedal and electric police cars. I have never seen a pedal or electric AA tow truck in real life, and only recently did I find the photo of it.

From the bodystyling I make a guess it's early 1980s. Any idea who the manufacturer was?

[Arran]

Pedal cars (and front wheel drive tricycles) are deliberately designed to be low geared in order that the rider cannot move faster than the walking pace of an adult. A local kid had a rear wheel drive pedal bulldozer but the gear wheels are the same size in order to reduce the speed, whereas the sprocket is larger than the freewheel on a bike in order to increase the speed. In contrast, the Kettcar is higher geared to make it go faster.