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The Virtual Pram Museum's Stroller Gallery
Strollers circa 1970
Columbia Tuk-A-Way (USA)
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You don't see one of these everyday! Made by the Columbia Bicycle Company, this stroller is particularly notable for its portability. Lower the handle, pull up on a strap on the seat, and wow! it's briefcase-sized!
A steel support for the seat made the Tuk-a-Way sturdy, and the lovely to hold wooden handle was a pretty effective steering tool. This is not a model which could tolerate anything hanging from the handle, though, as weight hanging off the back made it very unstable -- just as it does for most umbrella models. We used a low, wire basket from a British company, though, attached in back below the seat, and it was no problem at all.
The large diameter wheels made traversing rough terrain a cinch, though models which were really abused over the course of years tended to develop a little wobble in the axles. The Tuk-a-Way is obviously a toddler stroller -- the soft back made napping quite feasible, but a baby who couldn't sit up by itself would not be at all comfortable. |
During the few years when the Tuk-a-Way was available several competitors also marketed similar models. Delta offered one with a silver aluminum frame and a variegated blue mesh seat. Both strollers were fairly pricey at the time, and neither really captured the public's imagination, though we at The Pram Museum love ours!
Features
- light green enameled frame
- yellow, white and green vinyl seat
- white, spoked wheels
- aluminum hubcaps
- white rubber tires
- single grip handle with yellow wood grip
- leather waist strap
- folds to approximate size and shape of a large briefcase
- leather handle for use when carrying folded
- made by a bicycle manufacturer
Perego Confiori (Italy)
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What can we say? The Confiori is our very favorite all-purpose stroller! We bought it for everyday use in an urban neighborhood -- with all that space, the wonderful suspension, the incredibly strong and stable basket, we knew that it would be just the workhorse we needed to get the grocery shopping done and to haul The Heir and paraphernalia to the park.
And we were right! But before The Heir was born, plans changed, and The Heir, Confiori and all ended up on a farm in the rural USA. And boy, oh boy, did the Confiori take off across those fields well! The Confiori's superb carriage suspension was all-terrain before all-terrain was invented . . .
The summer canopy offers a lot of shade and air, and the winter hood, apron, and boot makes it as cozy as a carriage in winter (but a little less bulky). |
If you long for something similar these days, you might look to Emmaljunga, Simo, or Perego itself. Simo's Nordic Cruiser probably comes closest to our Confiori in style and utility.
The Confiori's wheels come off, and parts remove to make it transportable, but no one could claim that this is a small stroller -- even folded!
Features:
- dark brown mixed-wale fabric exterior
- cream storbic interior
- silver steel frame
- 10 inch wire-spoked wheels
- white rubber tires
- winter hood
- summer canopy
- white wire metal axle-to-axle basket
- winter boot and apron
- converts from stroller to carriage without additional body
- seat reverses, raises and lowers on frame
- wheels detach
- frame folds
Perego Bye-Bye (Italy)
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Perego's answer to the umbrella challenge was this beautiful little buggy. Most frequent comment by observers in the early eighties, when the heir was in residence: "Where did you get that old-fashioned stroller?" Little did they guess that it was strictly state-of-the-art, in spite of the eccentric hood.
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Best feature of the Bye-Bye? The integral footrest, which raises and lowered automatically when the seat was reclined -- an much better arrangement than the non-footrest on the Plikos, which are the current incarnation of the Bye-Bye. The footrest is what makes The Pram Museum's Bye-Bye a 'Super Piroet.' The 'Piroet' model was the same, but the footrest was set just above the front wheels, making it a better model for older toddlers. |
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Snaps on the hood were a nice touch which let the hood adjust to let air flow through while still providing shade. The wire accessory basket attaches low enough on the frame to keep the center of gravity safe, and had a handle for carrying around. When folded, the Bye-Bye stands independently. A marvel of simple, thoughtful engineering, this stroller is sturdy, maneuverable, and easy to use. In short, a gem!
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Features:
- brown velour exterior
- red and orange butterfly print on natural interior
- chrome frame
- black tires
- front swivel wheels
- hood adjusts for winter or summer use or detaches
- white wire accessory basket
- red and white accessory parasol shade
- 'umbrella' fold
- stands independently when folded
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