The 5 Most Expensive Child-Sized Cars

Most automotive enthusiasts begin to develop an interest in all things cars at a very young age: from watching races on TV (or, if they’re lucky, in person), to collecting toy cars and car magazines, there are plenty of aspects of the automotive world that have captured children’s interest, turning them into grown-up gearheads over the years.

For some children, however, their automotive hobby isn’t limited to pushing Hot Wheels around their bedroom floor, but extends into driving a real car of their very own. There is a wide variety of child-sized cars on the market, ranging from affordable toys to elaborate creations that rival real cars in terms of craftsmanship and price. Child-sized cars even have a place of honor at the iconic Goodwood Festival of Speed, where children compete every year in the Settrington Cup race driving the pedal-operated Austin J40.

Let’s take a look at some of the most expensive child-sized cars out there: from Bugattis to Bentleys and everything in between.

This list includes five child-sized cars with prices comparable to that of a real passenger car. Items are listed in no particular order. All information has been obtained from reputable sources.

1 1926 Bugatti Type 52

Photo: Gooding & Company

The first entry on our list is also the oldest: the ½ scale Bugatti Type 52, a child-sized version of the Bugatti Type 35 race car. The Type 52 was produced by Bugatti itself rather than a third-party company; the very first example was built for four-year-old Roland Bugatti, the son of company founder Ettore. This particular car was created in 1927 and showcased at an exhibition in Milan; around 500 further units were built over the course of the following decade. Although the “Type 52” name was eventually associated with the model, it was never officially used by the company, who referred to the car simply as the “baby Bugatti”.

The Type 52 was powered by a single 12-volt electric motor, with one forward gear and one reverse gear. It was fitted with drum brakes on all four wheels, and came in two different body sizes; around 150 cars were equipped with the smaller body, while the other 350 had a slightly longer nose which more comfortably accommodated older children.

In 2019, the UK-based Little Car Company obtained a license from Bugatti to create a modern reproduction of the Baby Bugatti; this car was called the Baby II, and had two electric powertrain options. It also had a “speed key”, similar to the ones found on some grown-up Bugattis, which unlocked additional power.

The Baby II Is A Bugatti You Can Actually Afford

Just don't expect to be able to keep up with a Chiron.

2 De La Chapelle Ferrari 330/P2

Photo: Bonhams

Moving from Bugatti to Ferrari, we have another ½ scale creation by small French automaker De La Chapelle, which produces full-sized cars as well as children’s replica cars. This tiny Ferrari 330/P2 has a combustion engine, which makes it a rarity in the world of children’s cars, more frequently equipped with an electric motor. The engine, with a diminutive displacement of 0.1 liters, was sourced from Honda and paired with an automatic transmission.

The real Ferrari 330 P2 was a part of the Prancing Horse’s legendary P Series, a group of prototype racing cars produced in the 1960s and 70s. It was powered by a 4.0-liter V12 engine, paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, and produced 404 hp and 286 lb-ft of torque. It had an estimated 0-60 time of around four seconds, and although its official top speed was never recorded, it has been known to reach speeds of over 205 mph.

3 Bentley Blower Junior by Hedley Studios

Photo: Hedley Studios

Formerly known as The Little Car Company, Hedley Studios is a small British firm that specializes in building accurate, high-quality child-sized versions of a wide variety of cars. One of Hedley’s creations, built in collaboration with Bentley, is the Bentley Blower Junior, an all-electric 85% scale rendition of the legendary “Bentley Blower” race car.

The Bentley Blower Junior is powered by a 48-volt electric powertrain, which produces 20 hp. It is fully road legal, and has a top speed of 45 mph as well as three different driving modes (Comfort, Bentley, and Sport). The body is mostly made