Thrill ride.

• Position: Holiday Gifts Galore - Brief Article

Matchbox cars started out as miniature vehicles for kids to push around the floor and/or collect. When that did not prove stimulating enough, tracks that formed roadways were created for the cars to be driven on. Still later, an element of daredevil thrills was introduced. This, in turn, has begat the Matchbox Hero Highway Motorized Playset ($39), a virtual roller coaster road ride, from Mattel Inc., Mount Laurel, N.J.

The basic concept is of a city in danger with a highway on the point of collapse. (Although no reason is given, an earthquake might be a good guess.) A police car comes with the set, but any Matchbox car(s) can be put in equal peril. It all starts with a motorized conveyor belt that raises vehicles to the elevated highway, from which they are promptly dispatched on a plummeting ride back to ground level...