| Industry | Toy industry |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Radio Steel & Manufacturing |
| Founded | Chicago 1917 |
| Founder(s) | Antonio Pasin |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Website | www.radioflyer.com |
Radio Flyer is an American toy company best known for their popular red toy wagon. Radio Flyer also produces scooters, tricycles, bicycles, horses, and ride-ons. The company was founded in 1917 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.
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Antonio Pasin started building wooden toy wagons in Chicago in 1917, selling them to area shops. His business grew until the Liberty Coaster Company, named in honour of the Statue of Liberty was formed in 1923. In 1930, the company was renamed Radio Steel & Manufacturing. The renamed company produced steel-bodied wagons and used assembly line manufacturing techniques. The new Radio Flyer wagons were named for Pasin's fascination with radio and with flight.[1] In 1933 Chicago was the host of the World's Fair, Century of Progress, and Radio Steel was asked to be a part of the celebration. Antonio Pasin took on major debt to fund the construction of a 45 foot tall wood and plaster Coaster Boy statue depicting a boy riding a Liberty Coaster wagon. Below the Coaster Boy exhibit Pasin sold miniatures for 25 cents.[2] During World War II, steel was essential war materiel; from 1942–1945, the company shifted production to portable five gallon Blitz cans for the US Army.[3]
In 1987, Radio Steel changed its name to Radio Flyer after its popular flagship little red wagon.[3] Today, the company produces a wide range of children's products, including scooters, bicycles, tricycles, ride-ons, horses, and wagons. Robert Pasin, Antonio's grandson, has been CEO since 1997.[2][4]
The Liberty Coaster Company began producing the wooden bodied "No. 4 Liberty Coaster" in 1923.[5] In 1927, Pasin replaced the wooden body with stamped steel, taking advantage of assembly line manufacturing techniques and earning him the nickname "Little Ford".[6] 1500 wagons a day rolled off assembly lines even during the Great Depression.[7] Since 2002, the company has produced plastic as well as metal-bodied wagons.[8]
A number of designs and styles have been produced by Radio Flyer, often inspired by the automobiles or popular culture of the day. The "Zephyr", produced in the 1930s, paid homage to the Chrysler Airflow.[7] The 1950s saw a yellow wagon inspired by the movie Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier and a blue wagon produced in partnership with Disney's Mickey Mouse Club.[9] Wagons from the 1970s borrowed the stylings of the muscle cars of the day, including the Fireball 2001 inspired by Evel Knievel.[10][11] The 1990s saw the introduction of the "Quad Shock Wagon" echoing sport utility vehicles.[10] The "Ultimate Family Wagon", introduced in 2007, includes a sunshade and an adjustable seat; the design won a Chicago Innovation Award in 2007.[8]
The Radio Flyer Wagon was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York in 1999,[10] and its creator was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 2003.[12]
The readily recognizable little red wagon manufactured by Radio Flyer is used in several artistic works. A character in the 1992 drama film Radio Flyer flies to safety in a converted Radio Flyer wagon. Radio Flyer wagons appear in a store display in the 1983 film A Christmas Story.
The 45 foot tall Coaster Boy wood and plaster statue of a young boy and wagon was constructed by Radio Flyer for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, Century of Progress.[2]
Riverfront Park in Spokane, Washington features a large red wagon that doubles as a playground slide. It is 12 feet (3.7 m) high and 27 feet (8.2 m) long. The interactive sculpture was sculpted by Ken Spiering and installed in 1989.[13][14]
The "World's Largest Wagon" is a sculpture commissioned by Radio Flyer in honor of their 80th anniversary. It is nine times the size of a little red wagon, and weighs 15,000 pounds (6,800 kg).[15]