The Radio Flyer team interviewed hospital staff and conducted in-field observations before putting pen to paper on a design. From there, the team sketched, prototyped and tested custom versions of the iconic wagon that could best meet the needs of patients and hospital staff. After several months of design and production, the Hero Wagon was born. This wagon includes Radio Flyer’s patented one-hand folding design making it easy to store– radio flyer wagon ideal for hospitals’ tight hallways and restricted storage space. Today, the Radio Flyer® Wagon company continues to produce its iconic #18 Classic Red Wagon, which it has now made for more than seventy years. These include other styles of wagon, such as the All-Terrain Wagons, in both wood and steel, wagons made entirely of plastic, wagons with canopies built in to protect from the sun, and the streamlined #93B Ranger Wagon.
Radio Flyer now also offers additional toys such as a bounce house and a child walker as the company expands further into the toy market while remaining true to its wagon roots. When Antonio Pasin died in 1990 at age 93, his son Mario had already taken charge, and Mario’s son Robert took the reins in 1997. Robert has helped the company dramatically turn around its sinking market share, battling back against stiff competition from bigger toy corporations both foreign and domestic. As mentioned, Radio Flyer closed the manufacturing portion of its Chicago operations in the ‘90s, and they also discontinued the original classic steel wagon, moving over entirely to plastic.
It was inspired by the 45 foot tall “Coaster Boy” model, the Radio Flyer hit of the 1933 World’s Fair. Antonio Pasin, a sixteen year old Italian immigrant, was looking for cabinet making work in Chicago in 1914.2Instead he began his American work experience as a water boy for a sewer digging crew. After three years of working various jobs, Antonio bought some used woodworking tools and rented a small workshop space where he could use the wood crafting skills his father and grandfather had taught him. Pasin, who became company head in 1997, said the wagon has become a “kid transport,” with some of the most popular tweaks coming from ingenious hacks of unsuspecting customers. Their canopies, for example, are formal variations on what they saw parents jury-rigging above Radio Flyers on rainy days in Lincoln Park. Asked what innovations he would like to see come to the red wagon if he ran Radio Flyer, he laughs nervously and says the job is really about thinking three steps ahead ….
This cute little machine features a sleek automotive design with Whisper Wheels to help provide a smooth and quiet ride. It also features storage under the hood with a cup holder, as well as a handle that can be folded underneath the body to help simplify transport and storage. This push car is equipped with a honking horn and a seat belt for a real driving experience. This Whisper allows your child to pretend to drive while you easily push it from behind.
A stellar combination of a stroller and wagon, the Veer Cruiser Next Generation Premium Stroller Wagon ticks all the boxes needed to confirm its beach-worthy constitution. It has a working side door that latches, allows any spills to empty through built-in drainage holes on the floor, and can carry an emergency stash of snacks and juice boxes in its rear seat storage compartment. There are also two seat belts for little riders to buckle up in, as well as contoured seating for a comfy ride. Once the ride is over, the handle fits underneath the wagon for space-saving storage. Best known for their little red wagons, Radio Flyer has pioneered the ride-on realm of tricycles, scooters, bicycles and more since their founding in 1917. Initially Antonio crafted wood cabinets for phonographs, but soon switched to creating children’s wooden wagons.3He did his woodworking at night and sold them by day on the streets of Chicago.