TRACTORS AND UNIQUE VEHICLES Pedal tractors took on a life of their own, appealing to a fairly different crowd than their pedal-car counterparts, but their quality and intricacy was at least on par with anything to ride on four standard-sized wheels. Elmer Duellman collected many examples of pedal tractors, and among the most notable is a pair of Caterpillar D-4s built by AMF in the 1950s. One is an original pedal-powered crawler, and the other is its matching gas-powered partner. The collection also features a rare Oliver example. Some of the most unique pedal cars to call the collection home range from dump trucks to station wagons and from prewar to post. Among them are a 1936 G-Man Cruiser by Marx and Co.; a fiberglass Jaguar XKE with bumper, headlights and a cloth seat; a fiberglass Packard with fenders, a spare wheel and a cloth seat; a Whitney pedal car with a hood ornament, wood-spoke wheels, fenders and bumper; a pair of canopied cars including a 1940s Hamilton Princess Willys Jeep reminiscent of Elvis’ car in “Blue Hawaii” and a 1970 Garton Little Princess that comes complete with a matching doll behind the steering wheel. DELUXE CLASSICS Also among the 700-plus pedal cars in the Elmer’s collection are a significant number of the rare older classic pedal cars from the 1900s, 1910s, ‘20s and ‘30s. Many are from five of the most well-known early pedal car manufacturers: American National, Gendron, Steelcraf t, Garton, and Toledo Wheel. Especially in the ‘20s and ‘30s, many deluxe pedal cars were modeled after the “Kings of Highway,” carrying the badges of many of the luxury brands like Cadillac, Lincoln, Packard, Chrysler and others, and the Duellman collection has a number of these rare and beautiful old creations. From this segment are examples like a 1925 American National Packard Coupe, an early Pierce pedal car from the 1900s or 1910s, an extremely rare and original 1927 American National Lincoln Speedster, and a 1925 Steelcraft Deluxe Packard pedal car. Also here is a rare, restored, 63-inch, dual-cowl phaeton 1934 American National Lincoln Tandem pedal car with windshield, hood ornament, fabric accordion top, bumper, fenders, spare tire, simulated gauges on its dash, pleated side panels, seats, and rear storage. 100 // MECUM.COM
