It wasn’t long at all before soap box races spread across the world to become one of the favored past times of many a little boy and girl. Since often times teams worked on the racers, many girls were a part of the building of carts after their official inclusion in 1971. While the sport is no where near as common these days, the annual Soap Box Derby is still held every year in Ohio (in Akron, not Dayton) and there are some who hope the sport can make a comeback.

University of Michigan students’ Soap Box Derby, early 1950s. Via/ Flickr
New Orleans, 1956. Via/ Wiki Commons
Winner gets a kiss, 1957. Via/ State Archives of Florida
Wrecked soap box racer, 1959. Via/ State Archives of Florida
Starting the race with a gunshot, 1960. Via/ State Archives of Florida
Tallahassee, 1962. Via/ State Archives of Florida
New York City, 1983. Via/ Wiki Commons
Germany, 1979. Via/ Wiki Commons
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