Father's Day is right around the corner, and since you probably never became a lawyer or doctor like your dad really wanted, there's likely not a lot of coin in your bank account for a big gift. Fortunately for you, Automoblox has just introduced three new Mini vehicles that cost just $10-12 apiece. They're the seemingly Corvette-inspired White C9-R, Silver S9-R and Gold C9-S. This trio of tiny heirloom-quality toy cars feature painted wheels that match their individual color schemes and a heavy dose of pearl in their plastic parts for a sweet candy effect. If you manage to Craigslist your recliner before Father's Day, the standard C9-R, S9-R and C9-S are also available in a three-pack for $30. Like the rest of the wooden car family, the new Minis can only be purchased online from the Automoblox Store.

If you're new to Autoblog, know that we're big fans of these cars and many of us have our own growing collections of Automobox cars. The fathers among us are hoping that their collections grow a little more this Sunday.



[Source: Automoblox]

Automoblox are some of our favorite playthings, and our kids like them, too. When a little cherub wraps baby-fat fingers around the C9 perched on the edge of the desk, rather than grit our teeth, we just wait to see what kind of assemblage will emerge. That free play time can now be worth cash money if you manage to capture a photo that wins one of the categories in the Automoblox Photo Contest.

Three categories will be considered; coolest car, best play action, and most artistic photograph. Winners will receive a $200 gift certificate, good at the Automoblox Store. Entries are being accepted until March 31, 2009, and winners will be announced on April 3rd. Get out there and get shooting!

UPDATE: The founder, owner and designer of Automoblox, Patrick Calello, is an Autoblog Super Fan and has offered any Autoblog reader 25% off his or her order using the coupon code "autoblog", which is good through March 31st, 2009. Click here to start shopping.

[Source: Automoblox]

It wouldn't be an Autoblog Holiday Sweepstakes without giving away something from Automoblox. This year we have the toy car company's newest and most exclusive model: the T9-SE Signature Series. The first truly limited edition Automoblox model, the T9-SE will be produced in a small run of only 2,000 units, and we have one to give away (NOTE: the actual prize will still be sealed in its original packaging). The T9-SE is based on the T9 pickup but features silver and red emblems, the signature of designer Patrick Calello himself, metallic black connectors, a painted pick-up bed and specially decorated people inside the cab. As regular readers of Autoblog know, we're big fans of these heirloom quality toy cars and many of us count ourselves as customers. Make sure to enter to win the T9-SE Signature Series by following the instructions below.

How to Enter:

• Leave a single comment on this post (if you leave two or more, all of your comments will be disqualified)
• You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
  
• Limit 1 entry per person during entry period
  
• This entry period begins 4:00 PM EST on Tuesday, December 16th and ends at 12:00pm EST on Wednesday, December 17th. We'll randomly select 1 winner at that time to receive one Automoblox T9-SE Signature Series (ARV: $40.00) Please check your e-mail!
  
• For a list of complete rules, click here

Click here to view official rules and come back each day this week around 12:30 PM EST to see what else we're giving away. Happy Holidays from your friendly neighborhood Autoblog!

Congratulations to Tim, who was the winner of the 2008 Autoblog Holiday Sweepstakes - Day 1! If you're Tim, please check your email and verify your eligibility. If you're not Tim, comment on this post for your chance to win a limited edition Automoblox T9-SE Signature Series!

Like the Ford F-350 Harley Davidson Edition, Dodge Ram Big Horn Edition and Ivon "Ironman" Stewart Signature Series Tundra from Toyota, Automoblox has just debuted a new special edition version of its own T9 truck in time for the holidays. Called the T9-SE Signature Series, the new heavy hauler sports silver and red emblems, the signature of designer Patrick Calello himself, metallic black connectors, a painted pick-up bed and specially decorated people inside the cab. While the T9-SE is going for the same price as other special edition models at the Automoblox Store ($40), it is the toy maker's first truly limited edition model. As such, only 2,000 have been and will ever be made. After the initial run is sold out, the T9-SE will be an instant collector's item. We would suggest not taking your T9-SE out of the box if you get one, but honestly, we doubt there's much chance of that happening.

It's amusing how much Automoblox acts like a full-scale automaker. The maker of heirloom-quality toy cars features a full line-up of models to satisfy the imaginary needs of any toddler, and has even begun branching out into niche models like the go-anywhere X9-X sport utility, A9-S sport compact convertible and high-performance S9-R sport sedan and C9-R sport coupe. Just like a real automaker, Automoblox has realized that the discerning 6-year-old may be looking for something sporty but not as single-minded as the R-line. Thus, it has introduced the C9-S berlinetta (MSRP $38.00) to fill the gap in between the base C9 and super sporty C9-R.

The C9-S features the same extended-wheelbase wooden body and lowered ride height as the C9-R, but loses the high-downforce front and rear spoilers and side sills. In their place is a more modest rear wing and "aluminum" wheels that require a minimum suspension of disbelief (they're actually plastic). The C9-S also gets a dose of reflective "paint" to simulate a metallic roof and body connectors.

Yes, these are just toys, but we so enjoy the way in which Automoblox founder and designer Patrick Calello treats his toy car company like a real one that we can't help but play in his world. Imagination is what really powers his cars, and we're happy using ours to follow along.


[Source: Automoblox]

Automoblox, maker of heirloom quality toy cars, is on an upward trajectory that hasn't slowed since we first encountered them a few years ago. In fact, while birthday shopping for my three-year-old nephew recently, I encountered Automoblox on the shelf of a local toy store for the first time, and then again at the little rug-rat's birthday party where a family friend bought him the X9 sport utility to go along with the S9 sedan I got him when he was born.

Times are so good for Automoblox that it's bucking the trend by unveiling a brand new model, the A9-S convertible. Based on the A9 compact, the A9-S is the first open-air Automoblox model ever and the first to feature a new white color palette for its speedster windshield, rear wing and rubber tires. The wheels are jet black with three fat spokes each and the two plastic passengers even have their hair swept back. Like all Automoblox cars, the German beech wood body of the A9-S can be taken apart and its parts and accessories mixed and matched with other cars to create new vehicles.

Christmas is right around the corner, and it's a safe bet we'll be buying the A9-S, which retails for $38 at the Automoblox Store, to add to our own growing collection that includes the X9, X9-X, C9-R and a trio of Automoblox Minis. We've also been told there's another hot version of the C9 in development, and have a teaser pic to prove it.


[Source: Automoblox]
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What's a sweepstakes on Autoblog without some Automoblox cars as prizes? Not much, so we rang Patrick Calello, the designer who dreams up these heirloom-quality toys, and he's graciously provided both a C9R sportscar ($39.99) and S9R sports sedan ($39.99) for us to give away. Unlike the last two days, both prizes will be going to one winner to help them start their collection of Automoblox cars. I have six myself, and the out-of-the-box C9R you see above is mine. The prizes for this sweepstakes, however, are still in their original boxes and unopened. We're also including an Automoblox T-shirt and decals courtesy of Patrick Calello with the prize.

All you need to do to enter is...

• Leave a comment on this post telling us which Automoblox car is your favorite.
• The comment must be left before 12:00 PM EST, Thursday, June 19th.
• We'll randomly select one winner at that time (please check your email!).
• Prizes courtesy of Automoblox valued at $39.99 apiece.
• Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once on this post and you'll be disqualified, but enter again for tomorrow's sweepstakes)
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Congrats to Nick Dasko, Gunbust3r, Chris D., Wes, Brendan, HERRICK, Matt, sendmecrapola, 2fic, bencox88, BrokenMonkey and QuayRyanCheck who each won a copy of Devil May Care from yesterday's sweepstakes. Come back tomorrow for our Father Day Sweepstakes, Day 4 as the prizes get bigger and better.

It's not an Autoblog Holiday Sweepstakes without a complete set of Automoblox heirloom-quality toy cars as a prize. Thankfully, Automoblox has stepped up once again and is donating a complete set of Automoblox toy cars, which includes six full-size cars, as well as three of the new Automoblox Mini cars. Unfortunately the high-performance models we told you about a few weeks ago are in such high demand that they're not available for this sweepstakes, so you'll have to get those on your own. Keep in mind, each standard Automoblox retails for $34.99, and the winner will get all six, plus a pack of Minis! Just keep telling yourself that you're entering for the kids.

How to Enter: Just leave a single comment on this post (if you leave two or more, all will be disqualified).

Simple Rules:

• 1 winner will be randomly selected at 12:00PM EST Thursday, 12/13/07
  
• You may enter today's sweepstakes only once
• Only residents of the United States are eligible
  
• You must be at least 18 to enter

Click here to view official rules and come back every day this week around noon to see what else we're giving away. Happy Holidays from your friendly neighborhood Autoblog!

NOTE: We have already randomly chosen 5 winners for yesterday's sweepstakes and will be in contact with them shortly. Feel free to enter today's sweepstakes if you're eligible, and if you happen to be a previous Holiday Sweepstakes winner, your entry in today's sweepstakes will automatically not count.

You know about Automoblox. They're such cool toys to play with after the kids have gone to bed. Adding to the company's coolness is their new limited edition C9R Sportscar. The C9R is essentially the already sporty C9 with lowered suspension, larger wheels and unique front and rear blocks. Side skirts and deeper front splitter make this one fast-looking wooden car. Automoblox C9R - $35

Next up: Give me a hand!

We're big fans of Automoblox here at Autoblog, not just because we still like to play with toy cars, but also because these heirloom quality wooden models look hella cool sitting on our desks. Oh, and those of us who have kids find that junior Autobloggers are equally enamored with them. We thought our Automoblox shopping for Christmas was done after the company announced new mini cars that should make great stocking stuffers, but we'll have to break out the Mastercard one more time for three new vehicles that have just been unveiled. The C9R sportscar, S9R sports sedan and X9R sport utility are hotted up versions of their standard counterparts that add some visual pop and performance flair to their standard counterparts. Each model features its own unique accessories, including chin spoilers, rear spoilers, rear diffusers, side skirts, and in the case of the X9R, running boards, front and rear skid plates, a roof rack and rear mounted spare tire. These new accessories weren't just added to the wooden bodies of the standard cars, as each car features a new shape hewn from the brand's trademark light grained wood. They also ride on new aggressive wheels with branded center caps that are shod with low-profile performance rubber. Automoblox tells us that the C9R, S9R and X9R will be produced in limited quantities, so if you've got to make your collection complete, your best bet is to pre-order them from the Automoblox Store where they retail for $34.99, same price as a standard model. Hopefully we can convince Automoblox to give us some more models this year to stuff in your stocking when we do our annual Christmas Sweepstakes.

[Source: Automoblox]