Simpler times made the wagon the perfect vehicle to transport everything we needed for a Fire Island stay. Today’s society needs more, giving way to large carts to now transport more, making our little red wagon a thing of the past. A near-century goes by, replete with ultra-cute photos of children being pulled by friends, siblings or parents in Radio Flyers. One hundred million were built, and the company put a billion wheels on the road. But in 1997, Antonio’s grandson Robert became CEO, and he soon realized the unprofitable, privately held company needed a thorough modernizing—or it would be out of business in a few years. The red hubcaps help prevent damage to the wagon wheels from particles of dirt and rocks.
If you want to get really fancy, you can even add a bow so it’s all ready for gifting. This was the only 2-seater wagon we tested with a reclining seat! That includes stroller wagons that are several times as expensive.
There are two models, both very retro styled, offering pedal assist and a throttle. The $1800 M880 is a mid-tail cargo bike, capable of hauling 300 pounds. It has razor ride ons five-level pedal assist, an LCD display with an odometer, a 500-watt rear hub motor, both a brake and an LED headlight, and a 48-volt, 720-watt-hour battery.
From there, the team sketched, prototyped and tested custom versions of the iconic wagon that could best meet the needs of patients and hospital staff. After several months of design and production, the Hero Wagon was born. This wagon includes Radio Flyer’s patented one-hand folding design making it easy to store– ideal for hospitals’ tight hallways and restricted storage space. Today, Radio Flyer still makes those red wagons, but it also makes electric bikes and scooters, tricycles, bounce houses—and Teslas for kids. The factory on the west side of Chicago closed in 2004 (it’s the design office now), and most products are currently made in China. Now you can get a fold-up fabric wagon with a metal frame for $70, and models that are pushed like strollers or pulled like a wagon for $200 to $250.
Then, when I have my young nephews for the day, it can completely replace the stroller and they get the fun of a stroller wagon ride, while I get room for all our family’s drinks and gear. By some estimates, Pasin’s sales team sold more than 120,000 miniature coaster wagons by the time the fair concluded in 1934. Many were red, like the one in our collection, but blue and green were also available, among others. Considering the volume of the souvenirs produced, many of these special 1933 mini Radio Flyers are still in circulation. But as evidenced by the condition of our artifact, time can take its toll on the rubber wheels and paint job.
(This probably is a factor in their growing up to be 100% pure red-blooded American),” reads a 1953 ad in the Logansport Pharos-Tribune. From 1942 to 1945, the company shut down its production of wagons and frozen ride on toy made five-gallon steel gas cans for the war effort. As men returned home at the end of World War II, housing was short and the 1944 G.I. Bill subsidized mortgages, allowing many to flock to the suburbs.
Choose a classic radio flyer wagon or one of our contemporary folding wagons for kids. Whether you’re hauling gear across the yard or giving the little ones a ride to and from the park, you’ll find the kids wagon you need at Blain’s Farm & Fleet. The plastic red wagon can be used as a walker, as the handle locks into place. The handle can also be adjusted into a pull position so that the toy can be used in a fashion similar to that of the original wagon.
It also can’t be overstated how much I absolutely love the “no drop” technology of the pull handle that keeps it upright and makes it so the pull handle never touches the ground. Even if you simply drop the pull handle without warning, it just springs back up, out of the way and ready to grab if you need it. A big thank you to Radio Flyer for sending us a custom-designed Radio Flyer Stroller Wagon for us to love and adore. No other form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this rave review. Radio Flyer has been making wagons and wheeled toys forever so I wouldn’t question their engineering. However, the axel assembly doesn’t include ball bearings like most of the other wagons.