Kristof Goossens

I got my daughter (and myself) the cool Automoblox X9X SUV with off-road cladding.

Unfortunately it only lived for ten minutes before a wheel broke off when it fell down her IKEA play table, which is odd since her other Automobloxes survive falling down tables and stairs without any visible damage. it’s probably a production fault on this one. Good luck has it that this is the only Automoblox with a spare tire, so I found way to repair it by removing the spare tire axle and using that instead of the broken one. The easiest way to remove a broken axle is by inserting a screw into it so that it forms a thread inside and then wiggling it gently out. The axles are only wedged in, not glued in apparently.

This is what it looks like after repairs. As good as new.

The broken axle itself was easy to fix by inserting a screw into both halves of the broken axle. It is still fully functional and hardly noticeable that it’s been repaired. The spare wheel still turns and can still be removed to play with. IT’s actually a very good design as the axle is smaller in the middle and a screw inserted into it can grip both parts and fix them to the bodywork. This is what the spare wheel looks like now:

The playsam line of classic toys can be considered both a minimalist designer fashion object and a childrens toy. It’s something your kid can play with without breaking and at the same time, you can put it on your desk at the office without people thinking that you’re starting a collection in toy cars. it integrates seamlessly with everyday office objects like computer mice and organizers.

The design is quite simply with minimal sharp lines or edges. The entire concept has an almost organic smooth feal to it, which makes you want to touch it. The cars are made of fine wood with a high density which results in a quite heavy feel. This combined with the well-rolling wheels ensures that it coasts of for many meters of fun after the initial push. (Take into account the length of your desk when using it at the office). The wood has ben perfectly sanded to prevent any abrasions and the finish is piano-grade multiple layered varnish which has been sanded to a deep glossy and smooth surface. The finish is pretty sturdy and occasional bumps against other toy cars don’t seem to damage it. I am however not performing a drop test with it. My daughter will probably do that for me in few months time. It’s a bit too big for baby hands, but very baby drool proof. a quick swipe with a handkerchief and it looks perfect again. The same goes for fingerprints.

My model is the playsam classic, which is the most basic design, others have wooden passengers or spoilers adeed and I have chosen the cappuchino color.  A kind of dark brwon glossy look, but with the right lighting you can see tiny flakes of gold which reflect the light and give it a beatifull effect in full sunshine. The picture below was taken with a flash and the lighting concentrated to show the effect; in everyday use, it looks pretty much as the orginial photo in this article above.

The cars are available in Belgium for at zabadoo (www.zabadoo.be) with prices ranging from 22 to 60 euros depending on the chosen model.