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Some toys take on a life of their own, and become icons of childhood. The “little red wagon” Radio Flyer is just one of those.

 

Born in Italy, Antonio Pasin began making wooden wagons by hand in 1917, three years after he arrived in America. In 1923 he called them “Liberty Coasters” in honor of the Statue of Liberty, and the Liberty Coaster Company began mass-producing the steel wagons using techniques adapted from the automobile industry.

 

In the early 1930’s, “Model #18” was named “Radio Flyer”, for the new and exciting phenomenon of radio. Their promotional campaign included a 45-foot “Coaster Boy” at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, and it soon became the standard in wagons. Kids used their Radio Flyers for everything from delivering newspapers, carting around kid brothers, and racing down hills using the reverse-handle steering.

 

Radio Flyer produced variations of their classic little red wagon model, including the aerodynamic Zep and the Streak-O-Lite, which sported control dials and working headlights. In the ‘50’s they introduced the Radio Rancher with high sides to load in more newspapers (or siblings). The early ‘70’s saw the Fireball 2000, a brightly-colored dragster-style wagon with a spoiler.

 

You could customize your wagon with bountiful-air or rubber tires, small or large wagon beds, and high or low sides. In the 1990’s, in addition to the steel and wood wagons, Radio Flyer produced plastic-body wagons with names like “Trailblazer” and “Navigator”. Dozens of models are available today, with features such as shock absorbers, “Wagon-Barrows” for garden work, and even Sport Utility Wagons (S.U.W. for short.)

 

The little red wagon remains a classic, immortalized in ornaments, mini-models, collectibles, and even the 1992 feature film, Radio Flyer. Generation after generation has used the Radio Flyer for all the important transportation needs of childhood.