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Big Tike Cozy Coupe: Your childhood at 70 mph

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The Cozy Coupe by Little Tikes is one of the most recognizable toy cars in the world. Autoblog reports that the kid-powered vehicle has outsold megaselling stalwarts such as the Accord, Camry, and Taurus. This week, an adult version of the Cozy Coupe appeared on eBay, the famed vehicle built in 2013 by U.K. brothers John and Geof Bitmead of Attitude Autos. When “Big Tike” was revealed to the public, it caused a sensation in the automotive world. BBC News produced a feature and we covered the little car ourselves.

The project began with a Daewoo Matiz and took 16 weeks to complete. Big Tyke has no windows, but was built with an airbag, headlights, and mirrors. Nostalgic rowers will appreciate its manual transmission. Big Tike runs on unleaded fuel and tops out at 70 mph. The idea came to the brothers when they noticed the similarity between the Matiz and the original Little Tike.

Big Tike has toured the U.K., appearing in car shows and charity events, but the brothers have yet to break even on the project. “We were hoping it would be out on a regular basis, create some revenue and recoup the money used to build it,” Geoff told the BBC.

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Interested buyers on this side of the pond should check state laws before throwing down a bid. For starters, Big Tike’s steering wheel is on the right-hand side.

The listing for Big Tike states that it was valued at $46,000 upon completion. The Tike itself has traveled 5,000 miles since inception, but the overall number on the clock is 65,000. It is currently being offered for just over $33,000. The brothers hope that the prospective owner will continue using the car to benefit charity. If the car sells, they Bitmeads plan to put the money into an RV inspired by The Addams Family.

Albert Khoury
Former Weekend Editor
Al started his career at a downtown Manhattan publisher, and has since worked with digital and print publications. He's…
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