Radio Flyer Classic Red Wagon

It is wood with steel wheels and hard rubber tires. When Antonio Pasin died in 1990 at age 93, his son Mario had already taken charge, and Mario’s son Robert took the reins in 1997. Robert has helped the company dramatically turn around its sinking market share, battling back against stiff competition from bigger toy corporations both foreign and domestic. Sacrifices had to be made along the way, however. As mentioned, Radio Flyer closed the manufacturing portion of its Chicago operations in the ‘90s, and they also discontinued the original classic steel wagon, moving over entirely to plastic. More important than the longevity of the souvenirs themselves, though, Pasin had indeed ensured the lasting popularity of his full-size product.

Building little red wagons at night and peddling them during the day, he saved enough money to found the Liberty Coaster Company in 1923, naming it after the statue he had admired in New York Harbor. In 1930, he began mass-producing the toys out of stamped metal. He called his new wagon the “Radio Flyer,” another patriotic reference to his homeland, this one after a famous Italian invention, the radio. Intended “for every girl and boy,” the wagons sold for less than $3 each.

We are committed to doing our part to preserve the environment for generations to come so that kids and families can continue to exercise their imaginations and enjoy outdoor play. Now, more than 100 years later, Radio Flyer makes much more than https://ridingtoys.cc our iconic Little Red Wagon™. We make everything from tricycles to scooters to bounce houses. And, while we are now the world leader in ride-ons for kids, we recently joined the micro-mobility movement by launching electric bicycles for adults.

Even in the depths of the Great Depression, they sold at the rate of 1,500 a day. This is a collapsible cloth-covered wagon for kids in the classic red color, capable of functioning as a bench or vehicle for tired children and a wide array of toys. It can not only be folded flat for easy storage and transport, but also includes a removable canopy to block harmful UV rays. Antonio Pasin immigrated to the United States from Italy in 1914 when he was 16 years old. He started building wooden toy wagons in Chicago in 1917, selling them to area shops.

radio flyer wagon

I added a few drops of common lubricating oil to the wheels. We folded, lifted, pushed and pulled it with kids and filled with heavy weights down paths, over hills, bumps and sidewalks. Here is what we discovered in the five most important buying decision categories. Stroller wagons can be pushed https://ridingtoys.cc or pulled, and typically have 3 or 5-point seat harnesses and other comfort-related accessories like reclining seats and cupholders. Kid wagons are typically pull-only and have fewer extras. Help other CoolThings Australia users shop smarter by writing reviews for products you have purchased.