The Origins of Ride On Cars
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.
Interesting sidenote – Karl Benz never actually met Gottlieb Daimler…
In 1893, the Duyrea brothers built the first gasoline car in America. A modified horse buggy, it only ran for around 3 months before being mothballed for the next 25 years! Maybe it wasn’t much good!
In 1893 Henry Ford joined the fray. However it wasn’t until 3 years later that he finished his first car. Another 3 years later he established the Detroit Motor Company but never actually sold a production automobile. He shut down the company 2 years later in 1901.
These early days of automobile development also saw the birth of the very first pedal ride on cars. Of course, just like the automobiles themselves, these were very expensive and only for the very wealthy. Most were modeled on the real cars around at the time
Ride on cars became increasingly more popular in the 1920s and 1930s, as more and better automobiles came on the scene. World War 11 put an end to ride on car production in the 1940′s, with all metal needed to satisfy the demands of the war.
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.
The ride on cars were still largely made from metal, but in the 1960s, plastic started to become the material of choice. This marked the beginning of the end for metal cars, with the vast majority of ride on cars being made of plastic by the 1970s.
What also happened with the advent of plastics was that, unfortunately, the new designs weren’t replicas of the original automobiles any more. Shame.
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.
Of course, because most ride on cars are made from plastic, it means they don’t cost a fortune. So you really don’t have any excuse NOT to get one for your little tyke, do you?
