Patrick Calello, the designer behind the Automoblox toy cars must be grinning ear-to-ear. He has created a award winning line of toys that are sure to appeal to kids (and adults too), right from the ages of 3 and up. These cars look so sleek that they can very well double up as collector’s models too.
What is Automoblox? Is it just a catchy name, or is there really some substance to the actual product? I soon found out that the Automoblox are a series of very well designed and engineered wooden cars which are made up of interlocking pieces which can be interchanged between models. The cars have a sleek modern look to them, and their unique colors and wooden finishing make them very attractive looking.
Apart from the looks, I loved the feel of these “puzzle” cars. The cars can be taken apart into several pieces which interlock using these special patented connectors. The connectors themselves can be detached, which means that you could probably interlink pieces from other Automoblox cars together and create your own. The cars also include little plastic model figures which, again, fit into the base provided using a unique shape pattern. Back to the feel of the cars –they exude quality. For the $34.99 price, they better be of good quality, but that’s another story.
The Automoblox line just keeps growing with new designs being added including limited editions. They are available in two sizes: the standard size which is approximately 6” – 8” in length, while the new Automoblox minis are approximately 3” – 4” in length and can comfortably fit in the palm of your hand. They are constructed of beech wood or maplewood with a lacquer finish.
Would I recommend the Automoblox? Yes, I certainly would. The cars are great for their play value as well as their collectible value. Speaking about collecting, each Automoblox car has something similar to a VIN number marked on the bottom side of the car which indicates make, model and year that the car was manufactured.
Kids will enjoy taking them apart and putting them back together, as the pieces are large enough for small hands to hold. Also, the cars offer a challenge as the connectors aren’t that simple to figure out! I can envision the cars being long lasting and standing up to rough play. The only thing I didn’t like about these cars is that once you’re done playing with them a few times, you kind of know by heart how they fit together.
You simply have to see the product to understand how uniquely different it is.
Automoblox has come out with “Automoblox Minis” which are miniature versions of the popular cars. For the upcoming holidays, the mini cars are slated to make super stocking stuffers. It helps that their retail price is only $7.99, which is well worth it considering the precision and detail that has gone into construction of each model.
Please refer to automoblox’s website at www.automoblox.com to get an idea of all different models currently being offered.