MOTORWORKS™ from Manhattan Toy: Customize a Child’s Dream Car

Eva is ready to play with the MOTORWORKS™ Cars
Eva is ready to play with the MOTORWORKS™ Cars

When I went to Toy Fair I got to check out the cars from MOTORWORKS™ and I was impressed. When I got the chance to review them I was excited and quickly replied, “YES!”. We were sent a couple of sweet cars from the MOTORWORKS™ line by Manhattan Toy. I was given the option to pick two vehicles and an accessory pack to try out and review. Opinions about these products are 100% our own and links on this post go to the MOTORWORKS™ and Manhattan Toy sites.

I think that Eva was more excited than I was. In fact, Eva insisted upon making a special video about how she was going to play with the toys. I just let the camera roll.

I looked over all the options for the different cars and trucks that were available from MOTORWORKS™ and decided upon getting the FSX Monster Truck 1.0™ and the STS Stealth Police Cruiser 1.0™ and also the Downforce Dragster 1.0™ Kit. There were so many options to choose from but I wanted to find the best combination of accessories included with the cars and trucks plus the most unique accessory kit. I think I did a pretty decent job of selecting that. Eva certainly had fun customizing the vehicles.

I was impressed by the packaging of these toys. Not only was it a minimal amount of packaging and the toys were secured well with only a couple of twist ties but it looked nice and displayed the vehicles. Here are a couple of photos of the two I selected.

STS Stealth Police Cruiser 1.0™
STS Stealth Police Cruiser 1.0™

FSX Monster Truck 1.0™
FSX Monster Truck 1.0™

The Accessory Kits come on a card and blister pack.

Downforce Dragster 1.0™ Kit.
Downforce Dragster 1.0™ Kit.

Before we got down to custom work on the cars I made sure to photograph the car and truck as they looked before.

FSX Monster Truck 1.0™ and the STS Stealth Police Cruiser 1.0™
FSX Monster Truck 1.0™ and the STS Stealth Police Cruiser 1.0™

Once we had shot our photos of what the cars looked like before customizing I played with them to see how well they rolled and how solidly they were constructed. I was very impressed. After playing with so many toys with awful plastic wheels it is refreshing to get rubber tires that roll easily. The wood is also a pleasant choice, it reminds me a bit of my pinewood derby days. The European beech wood is so smooth and has a simple, distinct look. I picked the Police car because it looked like a muscle car and the truck because, well I like trucks.

Then it was time to take everything apart and build new creations. If you already watched the video then you know what we came up with but here is the before.

FSX Monster Truck 1.0™ and the STS Stealth Police Cruiser 1.0™ and also the Downforce Dragster 1.0™ Kit.
Disassembled FSX Monster Truck 1.0™ and the STS Stealth Police Cruiser 1.0™ and also the Downforce Dragster 1.0™ Kits

And the After.

Our MOTORWORKS Creations
Our MOTORWORKS Creations

Eva was very happy with the cars. She took to them quite well also. The first time she put any of them together was on video. So you can see how easy it is to create the cars for a child of five years old. The ages on the toys are 3 and up. With prices of $14-$19 a car or a two pack plus accessories for $30 you get solid, well constructed toys that will last for a decent price. I was so impressed when the toys came that I’m looking to expand our garage. Speaking of Garages, MOTORWORKS™ has a tri-level garage with an elevator and ramps. I would love to have that for all of our cars. I think that Eva would as well.

Eva Shows off our creations
Eva Shows off our creations

Here is some additional information about MOTORWORKS™ and Manhattan Toy.

YOUNG CAR ENTHUSIASTS OFFERED THE WORKS WITH NEW MANHATTAN TOY LINE OF FINE-TUNED FUN
New MOTORWORKS™ Cars, Accessories & Play Sets Give Kids Loads Of Choices Wrapped In A Sleek Package With A Common Chassis, Interchangeable Parts

Minneapolis, MN (March 19, 2013) — Even in today’s technology-driven society, the appeal for children playing with toy vehicles is as popular as ever. Manhattan Toy has created a new line of toy vehicles with a twist to make them interactive — not with beeps or batteries but with interchangeable parts. The look has to be sleek, the customization plenty and the price appealing to parents. Manhattan Toy, makers of imaginative play, does exactly that with the launch of its striking new line, MOTORWORKS. Expect kids (and grown-ups) to stop playing with their tech toys and be driven by fun with these four-wheel wonders.

The MOTORWORKS Collection includes three different trim levels – Street Series, Speed Series and Extreme Series – make their debut at the American International Toy Fair. Interchangeable pieces across all three series snap easily into place. Accessories kits, sold separately, allow young builders pleasing possibilities like custom car decals, side pipes and spoilers. A handsome GT Road Racer 1.0™ street car becomes a speedy STS Stealth Police Cruiser 1.0™ or an extreme FSX Monster Truck 1.0™.

Best of all, the initial vehicle sets are priced from $14.99 to $19.99. Accessories — from custom car decals to big wheels — start at $4.99.

Manhattan Toy knows what kids want and MOTORWORKS is on track to be an instant classic that kids will want to collect with nine models rolling out for 2013. Also included in the launch are 2-pack vehicle sets allowing kids or siblings to ponder, design and manipulate wheels, car cabs and bumpers to create an individual sense of style. After all, one day they’ll be passing their driver’s test and shopping for the real thing! And finally, a collection of play sets round out a complete world of creative vehicle fun.

Shop for these and everything a car connoisseur could dream of at www.drivenbyfun.com.

About Manhattan Toy
Play is discovery, exploration, joy, growth, learning, and so much more. And for Manhattan Toy play is serious work. So when they bring play to life, they do it with a commitment to the finest in craftsmanship and creativity. All of the company’s products, from the newest concepts to their time-tested classics, are innovatively designed to inspire imaginative play and delight consumers large and small.

The Manhattan Toy family of brands — including Imagine I Can™, Whoozit®, Wimmer-Ferguson®, Groovy Girls®, Dr. Seuss™, Fraggle, Rock™, Parents®, Baby Stella, and Manhattan Toy — offer more than 700 exclusive, original product designs distributed worldwide through more than 10,000 fine department and specialty toy and gift retailers. Each year the company introduces hundreds of new toys, yet many of its original designs have remained consistently popular for decades.