1910 Wood bodied Pedal car

It’s notoriously difficult to identify the makers of pedal cars. Some appeared in catalogues, but many did not. In the early years in particular, there were bespoke cars built for wealthy families by local car body coach builders and the like. London department stores – such as Harrods, Selfridges and Hamleys – stocked hand-built pedal cars from a variety sources. Gamages sold by catalogue as well as through their shops; as you can see in the catalogue illustration above, the cars did not have model names. By the end of the twenties, Lines Bros had taken over much of the market and in the 1930s (as Tri-ang) became the dominant supplier of pedal cars.

Even the age of early pedals cars can be hard to work out as most were built in a retrospective style – it was parents or grandparents who usually bought them, and they enjoyed reliving earlier times with the pedal car styles of the previous decade.

As a rule of thumb, the first generation of pedal cars had larger rear wheels than front wheels. Wheels are generally a good indication of age: the wheels on the car featured here have wooden rims with metal band tyres, so I assume it to be early 1900s.

c1910 Wood bodied Pedal car

Chain driven

LENGTH: 42″

WIDTH: 25″

HEIGHT: 35″

Rear wheels: 16″

Front wheels: 15″

Wooden rims and metal spokes, with metal band tyres.

This charming hand-built pedal car from the early years of the 20th century is the type that would have been sold by London department stores to wealthy customers. It’s chain driven, and has a plush interior. The ornate graphic on the rear panel is a type of design I’ve seen on children’s wagons and sleds from around the turn of the century in America and Europe.

It was owned by Baron Dolf Sweerts de Landas Wyborgh and displayed at his country estate Dunsborough Park until he and his wife moved in 2013. It’s in excellent all round condition and is ready to display or drive.