Automoblox Review

Heard of Automoblox? No, neither had I until recently. Tiny Toy Reviewer #2 was bought an Automoblox C9-R red and white sports car by his Grandma, who realised that it would appeal to his love of anything with wheels and his obsession with taking things apart and rebuilding them. We were so impressed that we almost immediately ordered 3 more to expand his collection.

So, err, what are they?

Automoblox are what happens when toy cars meet building blocks. They are made predominantly from wood, with a plastic top, and plastic and rubber wheels. The bonnet, middle and boot can be taken apart, the window taken off the top and all the wheels are removable. If you have more than one Automoblox car you can mix and match to make your own creations or even just click the bits together to make one super long car.

We have the Automoblox minis which are a bit bigger than your average toy car, but the regular versions are an even more sizeable 10 inches long (and an eye watering £20).

Are they good then?

The Automoblox minis are beautifully crafted and unlike regular toy cars are likely to look pristine for a long time, unless you have particularly heavy handed children. They are about as close to art as boys' toys come.

But most importantly, the Tiny Toy Reviewers both adore their Automoblox. Tiny Toy Reviewer #2, as already mentioned, is a fan of anything that requires a bit of construction anyway so it is lovely to watch him so engaged in patiently taking his cars apart and then putting them back together. Even with the limited potential for re-designs, an individual Automoblox mini still works great as a stand alone toy, and of course it also gets plenty of play just been driven round the rug like any other toy car.

However it has to be said, having several really adds a new dimension to play. The boys like to play 'workshop', where they will taken all 4 cars completely apart and then the 'customer' picks individual parts to create a new and unique car. When mixing and matching most pieces are compatible, but we do have one plastic window/roof which is too large for some combinations of shorter body parts. This hasn't been an issue though as we simply stick an extra mid-section in to make the car longer. If you want to put the cars back together as they were originally intended this is easy to do as the pegs and holes are colour coded so you can match the pieces to the right car.

I'm quite a fan of toys that can be added to and collected over time. It makes it easier to make present suggestions when friends and family ask about birthdays and Christmas, and the boys don't get so overwhelmed by having lots of different types of toys and too much choice. Automoblox is something that will hold their interest for many years, and since they are so well crafted I should imagine they'll still be on display even when the Tiny Toy Reviewers are in their teens and far too cool to play with toy cars anymore.

I've already got a few little boys in mind who might like an Automoblox mini for their birthday and I look forward to introducing some other families to the joys of this toy.

So are there any negatives?

Well, they are pricey. At nearly £10 for one Automoblox mini or around £20 for a set of 3 they aren't exactly the best toy car for people on a budget - you could get a dozen little diecast cars for the cost of one Automoblox. But the price can't be too much of a negative or I wouldn't have rushed to spend £20 on another 3 cars.

Where can you get them?

Automoblox, which are an American product, seem a bit of a rarity in the UK. The Automoblox mini CR-9 came from Amazon, and that's also where I purchased the 3 pack (it's the one with the A9S, M9 and X9X for anyone who's interested).

Verdict

Despite the price, I highly recommend Automoblox. They are about as stylish and high quality as toys come, and most importantly great fun to play with. I'm the boys are greatly looking forward to expanding the collection.