Noodad Product Test Drive: Automoblox Toy Cars
Posted on 12 12, 2007 under Doodads by reviewdad | Comments 
Let’s admit it…one of the best parts about having kids is the ability to legitimately revisit (or is it revive?) your childhood. There’s no stronger bridge between our workaday, adult lives and the childhood our kids are having than toys. And even though for most of us, the old axiom of the only difference between men and boys is the size and cost of their toys holds true, no toy brings out the kid in us more than toy vehicles.
Not only do toys like Matchbox, Brio and Lego vehicles conjure up fond memories of our childhood but they provide an almost guaranteed connection with our kids, both boys and girls. Toy vehicles are a slam dunk when it comes to playtime.
There are a lot of toy cars and trucks out there most fall pretty neatly into one of two camps – build ’em yourself or don’t build ’em at all. The ones you build tend not to function that well as vehicles and the ones that come preassembled don’t provide the “make it your own” opportunities of the ones kids build. That space between Lego creations and Matchbox is now filled by Automoblox which are perhaps the coolest looking toy cars we at Noodad.com have ever seen. They’re an instant classic and if you don’t covet these cars by the end of this article, have your pulse checked!
Blindingly good looks. Sleek lines. Beautiful materials. Killer performance. These are descriptions typically bestowed upon real-world European motor machines. It’s praise rarely heaped upon toys. Why? Because toys rarely inspire the kind of wonder and lust that Automoblox elicit.
Automoblox (there are 6 models including a sports car, SUV, micro-car and pick-up) are an inspired blend of solid hardwood, translucent polycarbonate, metallic-look clear-coated plastic and colored rubber. Bodies are blonde lacquered wood. Roofs/windows are tinted plastic keyed to rubber tires that ride on wheels/rims that are brushed or chrome-look. This is “Pimp My Pinewood Derby Car!”
Simply stated – these cars are unlike any other toy out there (trust us, we’ve done the research!). But daddy desk accessory-good looks are only part of Automblox appeal. To relegate them to your kid’s (or your) shelf is to do them a great injustice and to miss an opportunity for some great parent-child play.
These toys are meant to be handled and broken apart. What did I say? Broken apart? Yup. That’s where the “blox” part of “Automoblox” comes from. They’re modular and the parts are interchangeable across cars.
Each car has 2-3 wooden body sections with connectors that enable your kid to indulge their every “Frankenmobile” whim and inclination. Ok…yours too! Want to put a sports car front on a pick-up truck rear? Do it. Want to put low-profile wheels/tires on a minivan? Do that too. All roofs, wheels, and people (4 are included with each car) are designed to fit together and all seem to “work” together so no matter what you build, it looks badassly cool.
Automoblox states that there’s significant educational value in playing with these cars. In fact, they went so far as to collaborate with a child psychologist to design elements like color and shape-coded connectors that help develop skills like shape and color identification and to build fine motor skills. Yeah…that may be true but from our perspective, the real value is the distinctiveness in the toy chest and the tactile experience of holding the cars. Those reasons alone ought to make them a favorite and inspire hours of imaginative play…both during family-funtime and after the kids go to bed!
To get the most out of Automoblox, you really need to have two or more cars – that’s where the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fun begins. But at $35 a piece, these aren’t likely to be something you buy a lot of. It’s a price point that pushes them into “dad toy” territory and can invoke overly cautionary tendencies that lead you to classify this as a toy too costly for Jr. to play with. However, they’re not just good looking – they’ve been designed to withstand the things kids do and tested in a manner that we at Noodad.com can really respect. Testing in Noodad Test Labs suggests that they’ll stand up to a considerable amount of abuse.
Automoblox recommends its cars for ages 3 through 9 and has even mapped play to ages from “push to play” at the young end of the spectrum to “cherish and collect” at the older end. But based on our experiences with these unique toy cars, the age range on that “cherish and collect” stage ought to be a heck of a lot higher…like 73!
Noodad Rating: 5 noos (out of a possible five)
Editor’s Note: We have to give a shout-out to Automoblox for a great web site and for putting printable coloring book pages on their site! Also, it’s obvious these guys are having fun…you can register your car (using its unique 17 digit VIN) to get a Registration Card and to gain access to an owners club that gives you free stuff and they ability to buy limited edition products.
Add New Comment
Viewing 7 Comments
Thanks. Your comment is awaiting approval by a moderator.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Add New Comment
Trackbacks
(Trackback URL)