by Tony K Poulter
Although the first vehicle to move under its own power (for which there is documentation) was built by M. Brezin in 1769, it really wasn’t until the end of the 19th century that a flurry of automobile-building activity took off.
Karl Daimler was one of the earliest pioneers, who, together with William Steinway (the piano manufacturer) built petrol engines to power various kinds of vehicles and boats. Not well known is the fact that Steinway actually owned the Daimler Company.
Something I never knew - Benz and Daimler never met each other.
The first gasoline-powered car in America was built by the brothers Duryea, who converted an old horse buggy they bought for $70 or so. Since it only appeared to run for around 3 months, maybe it wasn’t really up to scratch. It was taken over by a museum over 25 years later.
As these early automobiles were appearing, so to were the first ride on cars, which were essentially much smaller (human-powered) versions of the real thing. As you’d expect, they were VERY pricey, and only for the very wealthy.
The 20s and 30s saw ride on cars and real automobiles become more popular, although toy car production stopped in the 40’s, with all steel needed for the war effort.
The popularity of ride on cars jumped again in the more prosperous 50s and 60s. They were cheaper and available of most major stores. They still copied real automobiles, and had a huge range of colors, designs and variations - soft-tops, great paintwork, white walled tired - the whole bit.
After the war, through the 50s and 60s, ride on cars became very popular, and far more affordable. Indeed in the new-found postwar prosperity, ride on cars were available in all major stores. Again, these models basically copied the design of real automobiles, with many different designs and colors. All kinds of detail, such as chrome detailing, white walled tires and fancy paint jobs were everywhere.
Around these times, the cars were still made largely of metal, but the 60s, with plastics fast dominating manufacturing, really marked the end for these more traditional ride on cars. In the 70’s the plastic ride on car was introduced and the traditional steel pedal cars pretty much faded away.
At the same time as the prevalence of plastics, the new designs no longer copied the adult automobile designs any more.
So, what next?
Although most ride on cars and toys are made of plastic, there are still some companies making old style replicas. However, as you’d expect, they aren’t going to be cheap! These days, too, we aren’t limited to ride on cars, but also fire engines, jeeps, bulldozers and planes.
So, with ride on cars cheaper than they’ve ever been, why don’t you just go ahead and treat your kids to one today?
About the Author:
If you’re looking for a great
ride on car, or any ride on toy for a great kid, then make sure you
look here before you make any decisions. Go ahead - make your kid’s day extra-special!