--- title: "Massive Auction of Vintage Go Karts and Pedal Cars Will Rocket You Back to Childhood" description: "More than 700 pedal cars, go-karts, and vintage cars will be up for auction from Elmer's Auto and Toy Museum." date: "2022-08-28" modified: "2022-08-28" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/massive-auction-of-vintage-go-karts-and-pedal-cars-will-rocket-you-back-to-childhood" categories: - "Culture" - "For Sale" - "News" --- # Massive Auction of Vintage Go Karts and Pedal Cars Will Rocket You Back to Childhood ![]() Elmer Duellman is the person to see if you're interested in pedal cars. The first-ever pedal car Duellman collected was a 1905 chain-driven car he acquired in 1971 and he was hooked ever since. Duellman's collection now boasts over 700 different pedal cars, go-karts, countless toys and collectibles, and even over 100 vintage cars. However, it's the pedal cars that make Duellman's Fountain City, Wisconsin museum so famous and you'll soon be able to bid on the collection through the Mecum Auction on September, 14. Duellman's collection of actual vintage automobiles is impressive, featuring such rare classics as a '63 Studebaker Avanti and a '51 MG TD Roadster. However, the pedal cars and go-karts are potentially even more impressive. Whether you're a pedal car fanatic or not, it's fascinating to see such a vast collection of them and how far back some of them date. Many of the pedal cars in this collection predate most current car companies, such as the aforementioned all-original, completely unrestored 1905 wood and metal pedal car. Looking at these vintage pedal cars can bring you right back to childhood, when you'd dream of your own version of four-wheeled freedom. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Not all of them are cars, either. Some of the pedal-powered machines are tractors, planes, and even heavy machinery, such as a bulldozer. Many of the pedal cars resemble real cars, like '20s and '30s Packards, Buicks, Chevys, and Jeeps. My personal favorite is the Lotus, modeled after Jim Clark's 1965 Indy 500-winning race car. If you'd like a vintage toy car but don't want to do the pedaling yourself, Duellman also has some go-karts heading for auction. Some of them are seriously cool, such as the 50th Anniversary NASCAR go-kart, a Batmobile, and even a Shelby Cobra. The Manco Valvoline open-wheeled race car is probably the coolest go-kart headed to auction, though. Some of the go-karts are electric but some are gas-powered, with a few featuring shockingly large engines for such small machines. For instance, the Polaris Star car has a 400cc 18 horsepower single-cylinder engine. With 18 horsepower and almost no weight, it's probably a little rocket. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The collection is also filled with toys and collectibles. There are countless vintage toys, signs, clocks, oil cans, airplane propellers and other pieces of automotive memorabilia. Anyone who collects vintage car gear will feel like they've died and gone to car heaven while looking at this collection. And that's all in addition to the classic cars, of which there are many. Duellman was an avid racing enthusiast and was fiercely competitive. That competitive spirit carried over to auctions, where Duellman loved the gamesmanship of getting after the car, toy, or collectible that he wanted. But the best part of Duellman's collection is how much he's always wanted to share it. Not only were his kids allowed to drive the cars and use the toys, he regularly showed them off in parades and local events. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() He opened his collection as a museum in 1994 and it's since been the premiere pedal car and go-kart museum in the country. Duellman's cars have ended up in other museums and he even donated a pedal car to the Smithsonian. Elmer Duellman sadly passed on July 31, 2019, following a brief illness, and is survived by his wife Bernadette and six children. But his memory and passion for cars lives on in his collection. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The Elmer's Auto and Toy Museum auction will run September 14-17 and it's a can't-miss auction if you're into vintage automobile memorabilia. ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()