One of the most successful lines of toy vehicles ever is Buddy L,
introduced by Fred Lundahl and named for his son.
In 1910, Fred Lundahl started the Moline Press Steel
Company. He provided quality pressed steel parts to the truck and farm machinery industry.
In his spare time, he would make steel vehicles for his son Arthur Brown Lundahl. The toys,
originally made only as special items for his son, caught the attention of other children
and their fathers. The Moline Pressed Steel Company began making and selling the model vehicles too,
using the same heavy-gauge steel that they used in the
manufacturing of parts for automobiles and trucks. The immediate and soaring popularity of these
sturdy and durable toys resulted in Moline Steel shifting exclusively to the models within a few years.
These vehicles that
Mr. Lundahl made for Arthur and his friends caught on so well in the neighborhood and
beyond, that in 1921 he began to devote his entire career to toys as evidenced by the new name of the
company created for his vehicle loving son who was also known as Buddy L.
Through the mid 1900’s and beyond, the Buddy L name continued to signify why it is referred
to as the toughest toys on wheels. With a heavy concentration of steel and wooden vehicles,
Buddy L. not only became a familiar household name,
but stood for quality and assured all
parents and grandparents who purchased products for their children and grandchildren that they
can trust Buddy L. for years to come.
Buddy L produced a wide variety of vehicles, from trains and construction
equipment to delivery and emergency vehicles to Ford cars and trucks. All had moving parts,
some had removable cargo, and a few were very elaborate, including features such as working
hydraulics. The early vehicles averaged from 20 to 26 inches and were sturdy enough for a child
to ride. This indoor/outdoor utility insured Buddy L a place in toy vehicle history.
The trains were big and heavy, with three and a quarter inches between the rails. The track had heavy steel rails and ties. Most of the rolling stock consisted of open cars such as hoppers, gondolas and flats.
Before Buddy L, most toy vehicles were made of cast iron or wood, but Buddy L's success with
steel spawned competition. Companies such as Keystone, Kingsbury, Structo and Sturdy made heavy-gauge
vehicles, while Acme, A.C. Gilbert, Girard and Kingsbury produced lighter-gauge versions. During World
War II, the need for steel for the war effort meant finding other materials, so Buddy L produced wood
vehicles during those years. After the war, vehicle size decreased and Buddy L experimented with
plastics, but quickly returned to metal fabrication, although in lighter-gauge materials.
In the 1970s, the company was sold to a Japanese firm that began incorporating increasing amounts of plastics
into the vehicles. Today, the models are made in China and are nearly all plastic.
While all Buddy L toys from the 1920s to the 1960s are collectible, most desirable are the
heavy-gauge pre-war models. These can command prices from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
The early trains produced by Buddy L are among the sturdiest of all American toy trains and
routinely sell in a higher price range. Vehicles produced by this icon of toy manufacturing
promise to retain their value for years to come.
