Very Cool Kiddie Cars

I know there have been some great posts about pedal cars on the HAMB, but I haven’t seen anyone post this series from LIFE magazine’s webpage. I love these pictures on so many levels- Just seeing well-photographed vintage images of kids in pedal or, even better, gas-powered cars is fun enough, but its also intriguing to see some of the construction and styling of these cars. The manufacturers often caricatured or simplified the vehicles to make them more “kiddie-like”, but the end result makes them look like miniature kustoms (yes, I’m spelling it with a “k” for this instance), more than just shrunk down versions of the real automobiles they are emulating. Many of the 20s & early 30s cars feature bobbed fenders, shaved handles, and cut down windshields, giving them a distinct hot rod or jalopy racer feel.

Inspiration for your next scratch-built roadster project, perhaps?

The rest of the images are here.

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