Children Pedal Cars Race Circa 1960 (Vintage 8mm Home Movie Footage). Pedal cars are replicas of automobiles that were popular children's toys from the 1890s through the 1970s. They were operated through the use of pedals, much like bicycles, and gave children a feeling that they were operating a real automobile. Pedal cars started in the 1890s on the heels of the invention of the automobile.

In the 1950s, pedal cars experienced renewed popularity in large part due to the postwar economic boom. These newer models were chain-driven, and more closely replicated real automobiles by including features like headlights and horns, and custom paint jobs. This era also saw the introduction of other types of pedal toys, such as trucks and planes.