A Bobby Car is a

toy car A model car, or toy car, is a miniature representation of an automobile. Other miniature motor vehicles, such as trucks, buses, or even ATVs, etc. are often included in this general category. Because many miniature vehicles were originally a ...

designed for children from the age of around twelve months. The Classic model is red, made of

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

and is about 60 cm long and 40 cm high. It has four wheels. The car has been produced by the BIG company since 1972 at sites in

Fürth Fürth (; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Bavaria, Germany, in the administrative division (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Middle Franconia. It is the Franconia#Towns and cities, s ...

and

Burghaslach Burghaslach is a municipality and a market town in the district of Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim in Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. Geography Neighbouring municipalities to Burghaslach are Geiselwind, Schlüsselfeld, Vestenbergsgreuth, Mar ...

in Germany. After the death of the Bobby Car inventor Ernst A. Bettag in 2003, the

Simba Dickie Group The Simba Dickie Group is a German toy manufacturer founded in 1982 as Simba Toys. It is the fourth largest toy manufacturer in Germany. The company's headquarters are located in Fürth with operations in Lavans-lès-Saint-Claude and Hong Kong ...

took over the company. The name ''Bobby Car'' is protected. Since 2005, a new Bobby Car has been produced for which the Classic design was revised.

Bobby car for children

The Bobby Car was invented in order to help children learn to walk. It has a kind of seat in which the child can sit as on a

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...

. By swinging their legs, the child can move the car. Today, numerous accessories exist such as connecting rods, light running tires, trailer and so on. As well as being manufactured in different colours, it also comes in variants such as a police car or tow truck. Special editions have been made to honour well-known German cars, such as Mercedes-Benz SLK,

Audi TT The Audi TT is a production front-engine, 2-door, 2+2 sports coupé and roadster, manufactured and marketed by Audi from 1998 to 2023 across three generations. For each of its three generations, the TT has been based on consecutive generations ...

Smart ''SMart'' was a British CBBC television programme based on art, which began in 1994 and ended in 2009. The programme was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London. Previously it had been recorded in Studio A at Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingha ...

and

Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle, officially the Volkswagen Type 1, is a small family car produced by the German company Volkswagen from 1938 to 2003. One of the most iconic cars in automotive history, the Beetle is noted for its distinctive shape. Its pr ...

. In cooperation with tire manufacturer Fulda, a model having real tires, rather than the usual hard plastic variety was produced.

Bobby Car Racing

In the 1990s another use of Bobby Cars emerged: Professional competitive driving. The plastic body is strong enough to carry an adult. The steering element and the axles are strengthened to handle high speeds (approximately 60 km/h). Competitions are held on closed roads with steep downward gradients. The official world speed record of a modified gravity-powered Bobby Car was set on 28 May 2022 by Marcel Paul from the Bobby Car Club Altenhain /

Bad Soden Bad Soden am Taunus (, ), commonly known as Bad Soden, is a town and spa in the Main-Taunus-Kreis, Hessen, Germany. It had a population of 22,563 , up from 21,412 in 2005. Information Bad Soden is a residential town for commuters working in F ...

, who achieved a speed of 130.72 km/h. The speed record in the second discipline with a classic bobby car with plastic tires at 106.01 km/h was also set by Marcel Paul. The Record Institute for Germany has recognized both top values. On August 10, 2023, Marcel Paul once again attempted a world record. This time, he reached a speed of 148.45 km/h on an electrically powered Bobby-Car. The record attempt took place on the Parabolika section of the racetrack at

Hockenheimring The Hockenheimring, officially Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg () is a motor racing circuit situated in the Rhine valley near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on the Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other mot ...

. The electrically powered Bobby-Car record was additionally registered by

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...

in the category of Fastest ride-on toy car (modified).
Guinness World Records: Fastest ride-on toy car (modified).

References

{{Commons category, Bobbycars Toy cars and trucks Toy brands