Radio Flyer Classic – 90 Years of Quality Toys
Born and raised in a small town outside of Venice, Italy, 16 year old Antonio Pasin nurtured his own American dream. They sold their family mule to pay for his journey, and shortly after arriving in the U.S. Pasin made his way to Chicago. It was here that he began looking for a job as a cabinet maker. Even though he was a very skilled craftsman having learnt the trade from his father and grandfather, work was difficult to find and he had to take any work he could find and finally took employment as a water boy for the sewer diggers.
He grafted incredibly hard and by 1917 Pasin had worked in many jobs and had been able to save some money to rent a workshop and purchase second hand some wood working tools. From his small workshop he began to make toy wagons, the prototype Radio Flyer Classic, late into the wee hours to sell.
His business grew and by 1923 Pasin has employed several workers. Named the Liberty Coaster Company, the name was inspired by the Statue of Liberty. Around this time they created their first wagon, the No. 4 Liberty Coaster which was handcrafted in wood and sold directly to stores by Pasin himself.
The 1st pressed steel wagon was wheeled off the production line at the Liberty Coaster Company in the late 1920s, it was painted red and named by Pasin the ‘Radio Flyer’ and the birth of the Radio Flyer Classic was upon us. The name was chosen as Pasin was fascinated by the invention of the radio and was also obsessed with flying machines. The rest is history; the little red wagon has now been an American Icon for over 90 Years. With each little Radio Flyer Classic wagon comes the dream for little boys and girls of becoming a fire-fighter, astronaut, racing driver, hero…..
Like the Original Red Radio Flyer Classic Wagon that gave the company its name, Radio Flyer as a company has also become an American Classic. From its humble beginnings, Radio Flyer is rediscovered by each new generation of children, often because of their parent’s childhood memories and thus creating a legacy of toys that continue to spark the imagination.
Safety is all important along with comfort and convenience without compromising on the fun factor. Encouraging play and adventure, Radio Flyer Classic continues in its tradition of making fun toys that meet safety standards and bring on a world of wonder to children.
So many adventures have been had by countless numbers of children across generations making the Radio Flyer classic wagon an iconic symbol of Americana.
