Whether it was an expensive diecast model or simply a toilet roll tube with wheels drawn on, we petrolheads all had our favourite toys as kids. It didn’t matter whether you were the only one in the world who thought it was great, it was yours, you loved it, and that’s all that mattered.
I’m sure we can agree, however, that certain car-related doodads were unequivocally some of the best toys of all time. And these weren’t just limited to toy car models. These were anything that sparked the imagination of automation.
So, to pay homage to anyone who has everyone been a car-loving child, here is the Car Keys countdown for the best toys of all time – petrolhead edition.
Roll out car mat
This one may seem a little basic, but it worked. Pushing a toy car along a carpet is okay, but having outlines of a road on a rug makes for endless fun.
The beauty of this ingenious mat is how you could sit in the middle of it and be in the centre of the action – an entire city built around you. And for mums and dads everywhere, this was a quick, no-nonsense way to keep the kids occupied.
Remote control car
It’s impossible to pick just one remote control car, but big or small, they offered the same immersive experience. If you wanted to turn left, you turned left. If you wanted to skid out the room and hurl the car up a ramp, you could.
And that’s just it, the remote-control car let you play out awesome scenarios you couldn’t possibly do by hand. That’s also why they used to get broken so often.
Scalextric
In a similar way to remote-control cars, Scalextric allows you to jump straight into the action, only this time you don’t have to worry about crashing into the living room wall every two seconds.
Fixed to what was usually a ridiculously-convoluted racetrack, Scalextric brought high-speed race car driving to your living room. Whether it was an F1 car, Bond car or VW Beetle, Scalextric made every car-obsessed kid want to be a racing driver.
Matchbox cars
Matchbox did for toy cars what Polly Pocket did for toy dolls. Able to fit in a humble matchbox and incredibly easy to take anywhere with you, Matchbox cars were great fun to play with and, arguably more important than anything else, collectible.
Yes, there was a lot of competition in the diecast market at the time – Husky cars for example – but there was just something magical about turning over a toy car and seeing Matchbox imprinted on it.
For many, Matchbox cars will always be the bare bones, one and only toy car a kid will ever need.
Micro Machines Otto’s Trucking
Micro Machines took mini toy cars to a whole new level. Not only were they famously as small as a pencil sharpener, but they came accompanied by the most elaborate packaging, which doubled up as a play station. One of which was the Otto’s Trucking fold out city.
This seemingly normal truck folded out to reveal a metropolis, complete with a helicopter pad, construction yard, harbour, Diner and, of course, a network of roads. It may seem trivial now, but as a child, this was the next evolutionary step from the roll out mat.
LEGO
Ah, LEGO. It was between this and Meccano. But with limitless possibilities, LEGO wins by a nose.
LEGO invites a world of imagination, whether you start with an instruction manual and modify as you go along, or simply freestyle from the off and see what happens. Toy cars made of LEGO were amazing because they allowed you to merge anything you wanted with your love for cars, in a quick and easy way.
Want a house on wheels? Done. What about a car that has nine wheels, a king’s throne, a glass floor and a tree on the bonnet? No problem.
Hot Wheels Sizzler Loop-the-loop
A halfway house between pushing a diecast model yourself and injecting pure Scalextric speed. Hot Wheels’ colourful loop-the-loop tracks, or Sizzlers as they were originally called, came with a set track and a small motor which would shoot your diecast models to great speeds once it passed through a designated piece of the track.
The best bit about these tracks is that you didn’t always have to follow the layout. You could raise up the track to make a ramp and fire your diecast models across the room.
Tomy Turnin’ Turbo Dashboard
As a child, the Turnin’ Turbo Dashboard was probably the closest thing you could get to real driving. Mount it on a couch, pull up a chair and prepare to make engine noises.
It had a steering wheel, speedometer, turbo gauge, trip computer and even a gear selector, all of which allowed you to accelerate along a rolling road, turning left and right. This was all accompanied by a hefty, mechanical buzz.
Any Batmobile… ever
Regardless of which incarnation of the Caped Crusader’s wheels you owned, there was something special about playing with the Batmobile.
Any grasp on real world physics went out the window. The Batmobile was indestructible, blisteringly fast, kitted up to the eyeballs with weapons, able to drive up walls and, of course, it could spontaneously take flight.
If you ever went fact-to-face with one of your friends toys, be it a Biker Mice From Mars or Superman’s car (whatever that is), the Batmobile would always win.
Little Tikes Cozy Coupe
Most of us had a Cozy Coupe at some point in our lives, or at least had a friend who had one.
Although it was propelled purely by foot power, the car’s steering wheel and ‘realistic’ horn made for endless amounts of fun. The things were seemingly indestructible as well, bouncing off walls and other toys like nobody’s business.
We loved this toy so much we went out of our way to review one!
