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• 1 in 5 Adults still play with toy cars
• 29% still have childhood toys
• Honda's 'toy-like' display
LONDON, England - One in five UK adults (22%) have admitted they still play with toy cars, even when the children aren’t around.
New research (one wonders why they bother, but whatever…) has also found that half of this group is quite happy to do so in the company of other adults, the rest do so only in private.
HOLDING ON TO CHILDHOOD
The research goes on to further underline the island’s passion for the ever-popular toy car, with almost a third of adults (29%) admitting to still having the models since childhood, and 10% are so protective of them that they hide them “for safe-keeping”.
A similar number (6.6%) are conversely so proud of their collection that they keep it on display at home.
Such is the passion for toy cars among UK adults that one in seven (13%) have received one as a gift as an adult, one in 20 hasn't but wish they had.
About 25% also admit to being excited when buying a toy car as a gift because it brings back happy childhood memories.
'TOYS ARE ASPIRATIONAL'
The nation’s houses, it seems, are packed with toy cars dating back decades, with one in five (21%) having received hand-me-downs from other family members.
While one in five (21%) have been pleased to in turn hand down their precious toy cars to the next generation, 3.4% wish they hadn’t and the same number wouldn’t do so because they mean too much to them.
TELL US ABOUT IT: Do YOU still play with your toy cars. Tell us about your 'fetish' if you dare! Email
Peter Jenkinson, professional Toyologist (really?) and founder of ‘Toyology’ comments: “We love toy cars as kids both big and small; they're aspirational when you are young and still are when you have kids of your own.
“They look great on shelves at home as decorative display objects and of course are superb playthings with which to role-play and create stories – with or without the kids! It’s hardly surprising that almost a quarter of us still get excited about buying a toy car as an adult.”
Further underlining the popularity of the toy car over the years is research from leading trade magazine ‘Toy News’. In a poll among industry figures published in February 2015 to find the greatest toy of all time, Scalextric came in at fourth, Matchbox Cars eighth and Hot Wheels at 38.
TRANSLATED INTO SHOW STAND
The research of more than 2000 UK adults by Opinion Matters was commissioned by Honda on the eve of one of the highlights of the UK automotive social calendar, the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Honda’s will showcase its new line-up for 2015 including the Civic Type R, the new HR-V and Jazz, and the UK debut of the NSX supercar.
Dubbed the ‘Honda Playset’, the stand design has been created to look like a collection of children’s toy cars with over-sized toy boxes featuring life-size cars sitting inside each one.
As well as showcasing the cars, each box has been designed to offer a unique experience once inside, as well as the chance to win exciting prizes relating to each toy box. For example, with the Jazz creative focused around shopping, visitors could win a shopping spree at Selfridges.
