Who could ever forget about the Little Tikes toy cars, especially the Cozy Coupe line? These bright red and yellow plastic cars have definitely helped shape most of our childhoods. And they still do even up to this day. Seeing today’s kids riding around in these foot-to-floor ride-ons can surely bring back a lot of childhood memories.
But first, let’s take a quick trip down the memory lane, shall we? With its original version released way back in 1979, the Cozy Coupe has actually been around for four decades already. In 1991, it sold over 500,000 units, surpassing the sales of Ford Taurus and Honda Accord. As such, it was ultimately named as the best-selling car in the US at that time.
Cozy Coupe Design Back in 1979
The Cozy Coupe now features a sturdier build, a friendlier face and several other features
Through the years, the toy vehicle has also undergone some facelifts and upgrades. In 1999, the brand redesigned it by making its roof poles wider and sturdier for a much enjoyable ride. Meanwhile, for Cozy Coupe’s 30th anniversary back in 2009, several other features were added to the classic car. These included a pair of cartoon eyes, a smile and cup holders for both the parent and child.
Indeed, the Cozy Coupe has been an iconic toy that continues to withstand the test of time. So, it’s not surprising to see some adults are still fond of this toy vehicle. And for brothers Geoff and John Bitmead, their childhood memories with the Cozy Coupe need not belong to the past anymore. Why? Well, that’s because they’ve decided to build a real-life Cozy Coupe—only this time, it’s exclusively for adults.
By “real-life,” we mean fully functional and complete with headlights, airbags and mirrors. It also runs on petrol, so there’s no need for you to manually operate it a la Fred Flintstones‘ car. Plus, it can even reach speeds of up to 70mph (110km/h). The only downside is that it doesn’t come with a windshield nor any windows for that matter. Hence, you can only use it on a perfectly sunny day.
The Bitmead brothers own the UK-based company Attitude Autos which specializes in vehicle restoration and customization. So, there’s no doubt that they surely know their way around cars. They took a Daewoo Matiz, modified it and completely transformed it into a Cozy Coupe. Overall, the siblings spent around £30,000 to relive a piece of their childhood.
Brothers Geoff and John Bitmead completely transformed a Daewoo Matiz into an adult version of the Little Tikes car
The “Big Tike” looks just like the real toy and works just like a real car
The “Big Tike” certainly turned heads on the road. It even garnered itself a Guinness World Records certificate.
“There was that kind of response to it. Everybody recognized it. It’s part of our life. We see these things in people’s front gardens, and now you can see it on the road.”—Geoff Bitmead
Sadly, the car failed to turn into the money-spinner that the siblings had hoped it would be. So, they ended up selling it on eBay, in the hopes of gaining back what they had lost. It has been sold since then and perhaps its new owner is happily riding around in it somewhere out there.
