A Story of Boys and Their Car Toys

I came across this rather touching observation in the Toronto Globe and Mail by columnist Peter Cheney, who looks back at his boyhood love affair with cars and why the "pretend world" of models and toys was often superior to his adult automotive experiences.

PHOTO CREDIT: The Globe and Mail.com.

In the article, Cheney explains that the models and toys he enjoyed as a child represented an idealized version of real sports cars. Later--as an adult--he had several opportunities to drive or own the real thing, and discovered that they never quite lived up to what he had imagined as a child. From slot cars and Hot Wheels to model XKEs and pedal cars, he paints a nostalgic picture to which men of almost any age can relate.

"I couldn't fit in the cars, but these were some of the greatest driving experiences of my life. I was lost in my own childhood world of speed – my days were spent working on lap times, repairing shattered cars and building ever-more elaborate tracks, including a miniature Monza with a banked curve that wrapped around the furnace."

The article really does a great job of explaining the incredible "pull" of this hobby and why more and more grown men can be found playing with toy cars. I recommend reading the whole thing HERE.