Firm caught on the hop by success of Ferrari pedal car (From The Northern Echo)

Firm caught on the hop by success of Ferrari pedal car

9:06am Friday 11th December 2009

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STAYCATIONS have led to a surge in demand for pedal cars, produced by a North-East family business, that will feature in Top Gear’s Christmas special.

World of Rides, based on the Drum Industrial Estate, in Chester-le-Street, normally supplies the commercial sector, including visitor attractions, fun farms and holiday parks, but has been innundated with orders from people wanting the Ferrari pedal car as Christmas presents.

It comes as the cars are to be featured in a race on the BBC’s Top Gear special, due to be broadcast over the Christmas weekend.

Presenter Richard Hammond was impressed when he used them on The One Show earlier this year.

Company founder David Robinson said: “There has been this huge surge in demand.

It has caught us on the hop, but it is a nice thing to be caught out with, especially in a recession.

“Our business is making and supplying equipment for holiday and theme parks and the pedal cars were part of that.

“This year a lot of people have done the UK staycations in parks where our pedal cars already were.

“They have contacted the parks saying they couldn’t find anywhere to buy them, as our products don’t go out to retailers, and they have referred them back to us.

“We have been innundated.

We were finding it difficult to keep up with demand.”

The company, started by Mr Robinson, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

He said: “The big feedback we are getting from parents is when they have used them on holiday they couldn’t believe how much the kids enjoyed them and how nice it was to see them doing exercise and having fun, rather than them being glued to a computer screen.

“I think there is a surge back to the modern take on traditional toys that is just so nice to see.”

He was also looking forward to seeing the pedal car making its Top Gear appearance.

Mr Robinson said: “Richard Hammond had used one on The One Show where he raced Christine Bleakley.

“One of his researchers from Top Gear contacted us to say that they were looking for something Christmassy and could they borrow a couple of the cars and do a bit of a road test.”

World of Rides is a leading UK manufacturer of children’s leisure rides such as coin-operated bumper boats and bumper cars, pedal cars, family games, road trains and track trains.

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