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- This article is about a motor-less vehicle. For information about the East German automobile with plastic body panels sometimes referred to as the "Soapbox", see Trabant.
A soapbox car (also variously known as a soapbox cart, billykart) is a motor-less vehicle capable of holding a driver (usually a child) built for the purpose of racing or recreation. Propelled by gravity, soapbox cars can reach upwards of 30 miles per hour. Originally, soapbox cars were built from orange crates and rollerskate wheels, but have grown more sophisticated over time, with materials like aluminum and fiberglass being utilized.
In the United Kingdom a soapbox car is called a buggy, trolley, cart or cartie. It is also sometimes called a go-kart, although that more properly refers to a similar vehicle with a motor.
In addition to being something often built by children, there are organised competitions and races ("soapbox derby") that often engage the enthusiasm of adults. However, these things are usually entered into in a spirit of fun rather than serious competition. Often these will be fund-raisers for charity. Many, but not all, events impose the following rules:
- The car must have no motor
- The car must have at least 4 wheels
- The car must have some type of brakes
- The driver must wear a helmet
- A push at the top is allowed for extra speed
- Materials must cost less than $300.00
Soapbox cars weigh an average of 150 pounds and reach top speeds of 19 to 30 mph.* Many cities have permanent tracks where drivers compete for prizes.
Construction
A typical soap-box cart is made of wood, and has four wheels, arranged as a fixed rear axle, and a steerable front beam axle - usually with a very simple single central pivot. A seat is arranged at the back, and perhaps the seat area is enclosed, as in the original soap-box design. More sophisticated designs might employ a fully-enclosed body. The types of wheels employed vary according to what can be obtained easily - wheels from baby carriages, pushchairs, prams, and discarded bicycles being common. Ready-made wheels are also available from hardware suppliers. Steering is typically effected using foot control, or perhaps using a rope connected to the ends of the steerable beam (which can then double as a useful manual pulling device).More sophisticated steering methods are rarely seen. Brakes are also not commonly used, though some soap-box cart racing contests require these. Often a simple friction brake operated by a lever which bears on one of the tyres is all that is needed, which will be of dubious effectiveness.
Soap-box carts are unpowered, and are either pushed by willing helpers, or are run down a suitable slope. Races will usually take place downhill and the most efficient and skillfully driven cart will win - gravity applying equally to all.
Soap-box carts also make great construction projects for children, requiring only an intuitive sense of engineering, and a few basic construction skills. There are also predesigned kits available, though for many this defeats the purpose of the exercise.
History of the Soap Box Derby
In 1933, Dayton Daily News newspaper photographer Myron Scott of Dayton, Ohio had covered a race of boy-built cars in his home community and was so taken with the idea that he acquired its copyright; the national-scale Soap Box Derby grew out of this idea. In 1934, Scott had managed to persuade fifty cities across the United States to hold soap box car races and send a champion each to Dayton for a major race, later held in Akron. Scott later went on to work for Chevrolet.In the UK, soap box derbies have recently become more popular, brought to the masses by large events such as the Red Bull race and that held between 2000 and 2004 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Now, many small hilly communities organise their own races, such as the Catterline Cartie Challenge in Scotland and the Belchford Downhill Challenge in Lincolnshire.
See also
- pushcart derby
- Pinewood Derby
- Thomas Kreuzer (soapbox stuntman)
- Goodwood Festival of Speed (hosted its own soapbox derby between 2000 and 2004)
- Red Bull Soap Box Race
- Wagon
External links
- "The Object at Hand," Smithsonian Magazine, May 1995
- Educational Resources for Children (with pictures)
- Zero Error Racing,Inc. - Tips, tricks, aftermarket parts, advise, and tools
- The Catterline Cartie Challenge. - Cartie racing near Stonehaven in the North East of Scotland.
- * Soap box racing in Belchford, Lincolnshire, UK.
"Soapbox (car)"