For me, all would be too cool to outgrow!
Pedal cars... did you own one growing up?
- Thread starter Aunt Marg
- Start date
Now that would be fun, too!
horseless carriage
Well-known Member
My wife and I know a couple who are as daft as us with all things vintage. The husband admits that he always wanted a pedal car as a child, but it was never to be because his parents simply couldn't afford it.
Now much later in life he came across a tired looking MG sports car, a sports, pedal car, that is. He has restored it but the couple have no children, so therefore, no grandchildren and as he and his wife are way to big to squeeze into the car, he doesn't get to see the delight that a child would derive from it.
He won't part with it though, it lives in the garage with his other MG. You want to see it? Here's both cars, I told you that they were eccentrics, it's why we love them so.
Now much later in life he came across a tired looking MG sports car, a sports, pedal car, that is. He has restored it but the couple have no children, so therefore, no grandchildren and as he and his wife are way to big to squeeze into the car, he doesn't get to see the delight that a child would derive from it.
He won't part with it though, it lives in the garage with his other MG. You want to see it? Here's both cars, I told you that they were eccentrics, it's why we love them so.
The pictures are absolutely breathtaking!
You and your wife's Mrs., friend, looks straight out of a scene from Poirot, with her parasol and vintage luggage piece, and the car she's standing beside, wow!
As for the pedal car, double-wow!
Had to show my husband the pictures, and hubby wants to know, is your friends car a Bugatti Type 46 or Bugatti Type 57?
Nonetheless, thank you so much for sharing with me, Horseless.
That is crazy good!Pedal cars... did you own one growing up?
I still have two, a red one for just knocking about in, and a blue one that I keep for best.
One day I'll have engines put into them.
Don't forget about me when the times comes to get them out. I would love to see a picture of them, Tim!
I was pulling your leg Marg, I don't have any, but if I did they'd be like the ones above.
LOL!I was pulling your leg Marg, I don't have any, but if I did they'd be like the ones above.
After me seeing the pictures from Horseless, I would have to settle on something along the lines of the first picture I posted when I opened this thread topic up.
Everything else would be child's play.
horseless carriage
Well-known Member
The pedal car is based on the MG TC sports car, the real car is also an MG, It's known as an MG PA Airline.
As for Poirot, here's my wife with yet another friend, in the back of our MG, doing a Thelma & Louise.
Please tell your wife and friend that Thelma & Louise, have NOTHING on them!
Gosh, hats just add so much class!
horseless carriage
Well-known Member
For precocious little darlings that simply had to have a Rolls Royce, a vintage Rolls Royce, no less:
There again, if there's a potential racer, how about a vintage Bentley.
There again, if there's a potential racer, how about a vintage Bentley.
And as children we thought we had nice pedal cars.
JonDouglas
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
Never had one and didn't know of anyone in the neighborhood who did. The problem with pedal cars was speed. They just didn't have it. If someone in town ever had one, anyone on a tricycle would blow by him or her, parents would hear the kid gripe and pedal cars were replace by trikes. Beside that, you could tassles, bells, horns and any number of accessories for your tricycle. After tricycles were scooters. Scooters could beat any almost every trike. Later, bicycles and/or boards with wheels and motors were what was wanted, it not needed, for sidewalk excursions. Small gas motors were plentiful back then as you could get a working, Maytag gas washing machine engine for chores money as they were all replaced by REA electrification. For the more elite, Whizzer motors for your bicycle were the holy grail for bicycles. Some of us sold our toys and bicycles to get a motorcycle. Riding your motorcycle to grade school was the glorious crowning achievement in the evolution from pedaling to riding. That riding elation didn't last, though, when you started liking girls whose parents frowned on motorcycles, which was most of them.
SetWave
Well-known Member
- Location
- Monterey Bay
Never had one but we sure did build some dangerous coasters and terrorized the streets.
Many excellent points, Jon, but cruising in a pedal car was more classy and defined than getting on some scooter or tricycle.
I remember neighbourhood kids, particularly the boys flocking to our house to have a turn at the wheel of my baby brothers pedal drive rides.
Soap-box racers, or whatever they were called.
We had a steep street in front of our house, and once spring - sprung, the boys would be busy building soap-box racers so they could race down the hill.
They were steered by a rope, and a short 2x4 handle acted as the braking system. Witnessed a few wipeouts.
JonDouglas
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
LOL, classy wasn't in our vocabulary and certainly wasn't something we understood. After giving it some more thought, I think the doctor's kid had a pedal car, along with about every other toy a kid could have. There was somewhat of a natural aversion to/from kids who had everything so our exposure to pedal cars was quite limited.
I do remember the type for sure, they graced our neighbourhood, too, and quite right you are about being conditioned as well as actively conditioning ourselves over such starting at a young age.
JonDouglas
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
Interesting. Now that you got me thinking about pedal cars, I think there's one in my daughter's basement that she used as a prop when photographing children some years back. I will go see and report back with a picture if it's still there..
Murrmurr
SF VIP
- Location
- Sacramento, California
I had one; your basic little Cruiser in blue with a few "chrome" accents. It was a little beat up when I got it - my uncle took some stuff to the city dump for some people and the peddle car was amongst it, so he dug it out and brought it to us. I was told I had to share it with my older brother but he was like, "Nah, that's ok, you go ahead." I liked it for a while, but like JonD said, it was slow and this one was also noisy. I think the peddle mechanisms were starting to rust already. And they don't do well on gravel, which is what our little neighborhood road was made of. Ergo, I was the only kid in the 'hood who had a peddle car, so I earned a bit of celebrity in the ownership. And "street cred" for a 3yr old was extremely hard to come-by, so I was pretty psyched about it.
JonDouglas
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
She still has it in her basement, complete with aviator's hat and goggles.
I've never seen anything like it!She still has it in her basement, complete with aviator's hat and goggles.
Extraordinary!
Thank you for taking the time to post a picture of it, Jon!
fuzzybuddy
SF VIP
- Location
- The Sticks, Northeast PA.
My little brother had one of the peddle cars. It was a waste. It was made of sheet metal that weighed a ton. His little legs didn't have enough force push the peddles to make it move. The only time it moved was when I pushed it. By the time my brother had enough strength in his legs; he couldn't fit in the darned thing.