BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money. Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals. “It’s just been this incredible partnership,” says Pasin, who’s led the company since 1997 and is the grandson of Antonio Pasin, who founded Radio Flyer in 1917.
By 1923, the wagons were metal instead of wood, and painted bright red. Radio was new, and so was flying, and because Pasin was enamored of both, the wagons became Radio Flyers. As the business expanded, he was known as a handshake guy—no contracts needed. I have an original radio flyer wagon Liberty Coaster wagon I used to play with as a child. More important than the longevity of the souvenirs themselves, though, Pasin had indeed ensured the lasting popularity of his full-size product. When the adventure is over, I can simply fold the stroller wagon compactly.
Robert’s biggest challenge has been reinventing the company, which he’s done by focusing exclus‐ ively on children’s toys, expanding product development and moving manufacturing abroad. Located on Chicago’s Far West Side, Radio Flyer is the world’s leading wagon maker, manufacturing high-quality products for children since 1917. The makers of the original little red wagon, Radio Flyer is the only company to produce plastic, steel and wood wagons.
Adults who garden also love this wagon, which can hold up to 150 pounds of cargo. There is also a skating park, a carousel, an ice cream stand, and a myriad of playground equipment for kids. The wagon is really cool; its bed is padded and its handle is a slide. 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.
They prided themselves in the quality of the on-site stamped metal products and didn’t have the means to produce other items. At the time, they didn’t even have a product development team, according to Robert. The group had to find designers and manufacturers to create a product that could compete in an already competitive market.The first plastic Radio Flyer was too small and foundered. “Finally the fourth and fifth versions were the real winners,” Robert says.
Did Radio Flyer ever market a wagon (circa 1930’s) with pictures and text “The Iron Duke”? My family has had this wagon since new and when looking at antique wagons, it most resembles one that is a Radio Flyer, but I can’t tell its make. People tend to forget that both of Chicago’s World’s Fairs—the Columbian Exposition in 1893 and the Century of Progress in 1933—took place during major economic depressions. So while every participating company did its best to showcase a brave face, joining in the city’s spending splurge wasn’t always viewed as the wisest investment. By 1933, Pasin had set up his newly rechristened business, the Radio Steel & MFG Company, at a large manufacturing facility on Grand Avenue in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood.
That kind of versatility has certainly given the iconic, fire hy‐ drant red Radio Flyer some serious staying power. The company has been around a full century, with roots stretch‐ ing back to the early 1900s when the future razor ride ons founder of the company, Antonio Pasin, arrived in America. Antonio was born in 1898 to a family of cabinetmakers that lived in a small town outside of Venice. Like many at the time, he dreamed of greater opportunities.
It’s just as long and only a foot narrower in width, with a slide to boot. Still, it’s the Chicago wagon that holds the place of honor in the Guinness book of World Records. Pasin explained that the constellation of Radio Flyer products is meant to provide something for every family, each step of the way. Pasin’s grandfather, Antonio, first set eyes on the Statue of Liberty in April of 1914. Apparently, the statue left a deep enough impression on Antonio that, when it came time to name his first toy wagon line, he chose to call it the Liberty Coaster.
When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Touch device users, explore razor ride ons by touch or with swipe gestures. The Inchworm is a wheeled ride-on toy propelled by the bouncing motion of the rider.