In 1947, a pedal car manufacturing base was established in Bargoed, South Wales, which was entirely government-funded, as the factory provided a not-for-profit, rehabilitation service for injured miners. While the first model was known as Pathfinder, it was only built for a year, before the J40 Austin pedal car replaced it. Produced under licence from Austin, the large pedal cars were made from metal off-cuts from the full-size Austin production lines.
The J40 was undoubtedly the best pedal car on the market at the time. It featured real working headlights and horn, detachable wheels with Dunlop pneumatic tires, a proper facia panel and leathercloth seating. It had an opening bonnet and boot and featured a lot of good quality chrome, namely both bumpers, hub caps, grille, boot handle and central bonnet moulding, with the ‘Flying A’ ornament. It was later dropped, because of a change in safety law.
The J40 sold for £27 plus £6 purchase tax. At the time, the average working man would have to save full wages for two or three weeks to buy a J40. It was intended primarily for the American market but it also established other export markets in Denmark and Canada. Eventually, Austin pedal cars were to be found in homes around the world. They were also used to teach road safety to school children and appeared in many road safety films. Pedal cars were fitted to roundabouts at fairs, with two (unconnected) steering wheels and they had no pedals. Some were single-mounted on coin-operated rides.
There was a total production of 32,098 Austin J40 pedal cars and series production ceased in September 1971. The factory was later used to make parts for the 'A' Series engines. Eventually, the plant closed down on 30th April 1999. Every year for the past few, the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed features a children’s race for the J40 and the pedal car now attracts a classic car status and can be worth in excess of £1,000.
Whether purchased for the child-that-wants-for-nothing, or the adult (with the child in his eyes!), a reduced size replica of an established classic holds immense appeal. While prices have not been released for the E-Type currently in-build at Pocket Classics, you can reckon it will be broadly similar to the new prices asked for the XK120 sports model (£14,995), the firm’s amazing four-wheel-steer, electric Swincar e-Spider off-roader (£13,495), of the fully-built Army-style Jeep (£4,150, or £3,330 as a kit), all prices incurring VAT at 20%. A single-seat racing car and an AC Cobra replica are also available.
The most popular power unit choice is a Loncin 110cc, four-stroke petrol, single-cylinder engine. Mated to a three-speed clutch-less transmission, its top speed (which can be limited) is around 45mph. It can be modified for around 80mph, if you feel really brave. Weighing a mere 97kgs, it consumes fuel at the rate of 1.5-litres per hour. Beautifully built on a sturdy chassis, with a glass-fibre reinforced body on top, the detailing both around the interior and outside the car is exemplary. The cars even feature independent suspension, Brembo brakes and rack and pinion steering, just like the ‘real thing’ but slightly smaller.
The electric Swincar is a minor diversion away from Pocket Classic’s normal business, as it is made in France and the UK firm has the distribution agency for the UK. Hand-built on an aluminium chassis at SWINCAR’s headquarters in France, it has been designed so that drivers can cross a diverse range of terrain, with total freedom. The extreme flexibility of the e-Spider means that it is suitable for leisure, agricultural, civilian and military applications.
Each of the car’s four wheels houses an electric motor and is independently suspended on long, articulated spider-like arms that account for the different gradients below each wheel. The e-Spider can travel up and down inclines as steep as 70 degrees, through snow and across ditches diagonally, all while keeping the driver vertical, thanks to its patented architecture, which generates a pendulum balance during turns and on slopes.
Powered by a Lithium-ion battery pack, which delivers around four hours of charge and up to 60 miles of driving, the e-Spider, which only weighs 200kg, can reach a maximum speed of around 18mph on a flat surface. Engineered for maximum safety and enjoyment, the car is very simple to manoeuvre. Hydraulically assisted four-wheel steering, and paddle-operated acceleration and braking make its operation extremely intuitive and very stable. No gear changes are required.
