PRE-WWII STEEL CRAFT PEDAL CAR
by Don Reid
This pedal car was bought used for $13.00 in 1946 when I was six years old. It was purchased from friends near where we lived in Cullman, Alabama. This was right after World War II when metal was rationed and new steel toys were not available. The black pedal car was in excellent shape with the original chrome and red and white wheels but had no windshield or horn. It served me, my older sister, and a host of cousins for many years. It was always stored on the porch or in a shed while I was living at home. In a picture of me, my sisters, and my dog named Roy some of the car can be seen in the background. My younger sister, Becky, is sitting in the car. This picture was taken in 1952.
After I grew into a bicycle, I left the car for my younger sister and cousins. When I joined the Air Force and left home, my two sister's children played with the car until they outgrew it. It was finally abandoned in the barn.
In the 1990's I brought it to Biloxi, Mississippi, where I lived. After I retired in 1995, I began restoring it. It was minus three wheels, the steering wheel, a spindle, and the rear axle. I sandblasted and painted the body, then placed it on a top shelf in the garage.
There it sat in 2005 when Katrina raged over the Coast, and water rose four feet in the garage. The car was safe at a height of six feet. In the aftermath of Katrina, I decided it was time to finish what I started in 1995. Today it is ready to ride, still no windshield or horn, but road worthy.
