Automoblox— Ages 8 & up — $32.00 (msrp)

The concept behind Automoblox was to create a toy durable enough to last a few generations, interesting enough to tear your kid away from the TV for more than five minutes, and stimulating enough that children actually grow a brain cell or two from playing with them.
The wooden bodies of each vehicle are made of three parts that are interchangeable, which creates a kind of kiddie chop shop where new Franken-cars can be created from the individual pieces.

Automoblox News:
Pedal to the Mettle:
The unbelievable, true story of Automoblox
by Patrick Calello, Core77-Industrial Design Supersite - Many of us can recall the pride we felt the first time we spotted a product that we had a hand in designing sitting on a store shelf. And this pride turns to absolute nirvana when that product is your product-something that you've brought to market completely born of your vision and manufactured by your own company.…
Automoblox > conditioning your kids to love cars
Posted Sep 20, 2005, 7:00 AM ET by John Neff, Autoblog -- This company, Automoblox, approached me to check out its line of heirloom quality toy cars, to wit I replied, "You want me to play with toys? Sweet." In all honesty, I have to say these toy cars are a cut above the plastic crap on Wal-Mart shelves. …
Automoblox for new generation
japantoday > new products -- Despite the constant influx of purple dinosaurs and sponge pants, only a handful of toys have withstood the test of time and remain as magical today as in the past. Blocks, puzzles, cars and trucks are ageless in their ability to inspire creativity and imagination in every child (and adult, though we rarely admit it). …
Automoblox (manufacturer's site)