Austin J40 Pedal Car

Austin pedal cars were made in England by Austin Motor Company Ltd. Available models were the Junior Forty (J40) and the Pathfinder. The J40 was based on the 1948 A40, while the Pathfinder was based on an Austin Seven racing car of the late 1930s. Sales brochures boasted the manufacture of the pedal cars in a specially constructed factory in South Wales, being built by disabled Welsh miners that were unable to find work. The factory was opened on the 5th of July 1949, dubbed the Austin Junior Car Factory. It was paid for by government funds, being run on a not-for-profit basis and purely to employ the disabled coal miners. The J40 was a toy of excellent quality and probably the best pedal car on the market, featuring working headlights and horn, detachable wheels, opening bonnet and boot and a chrome hood ornament! They sold new for 27 pounds.