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Let me start by saying that I LOVE this car! But, I am an adult collector. Here is how I would rate it:

Collector Grade: A
Play Grade: C

Collector Comments:
The car is gorgeous. Pictures do not do it justice. Although it is not metal, it is a heavy plastic with a beautiful bright blue coat of paint and shiny bumpers & hubcaps.

Unlike some previous mentions, I sat two dolls in with no problem and no weird angles. They are arm to arm, though - no extra room. One doll fits and looks great.

Following the insertion of 3 AA batteries using a phillips head screwdriver to remove the battery compartment (aka the spare tire under the hood) - the only assembly necessary of the "some assembly required" - pressing a button on the dash "starts" the car and turns on the headlights. My DH says it definitely sounds like a VW bug starting up. The engine "runs" for about 10 seconds and then shuts off. The headlights stay on for about 30 seconds and then turn off.

Pressing a second button turns on the "radio." There are 4 songs that play for about 20 seconds each. They are not recognizable songs (at least not to me or DH). I assume AG didn't want to pay the rights for actual popular 70's tunes so they recorded their own. One song has a disco-ish feel and is probably titled "Shake It," if it has a title. The other three are more easy-listening style. One is about the Pacific Coast Highway & San Francisco, the second has the lyrics "free and easy rolling down the road" and the third goes something like "'round here there's nothing but fun for you." Each time you press the button you get static as if you were turning the dial until the next song comes in.

The horn honks when you press the center of the steering wheel. The steering wheel tuns, but does not turn the wheels.

As far as the design goes, DH says that all the details are correct.

The accessories are really cute and nicely made.

Play Comments:
I don't have a little one, but if I did, I would hesitate to purchase this for the following reasons:

- I'm pretty confident that the hood & trunk lids will break after repeated opening and closing from little hands. Even with careful play, they just don't seem sturdy enough to take much use. Even my DH commented on the fragility of the hood when he was putting in the batteries. It doesn't open all the way and he said that he could see a kid forcing it up higher and easily breaking it. The trunk lid opens a bit higher, but again seems like it wouldn't stand up to much serious play.

- While two dolls fit, the "driver" needs to be maneuvered around the stick shift to get in - it takes a little patience.

- The car rolls very nicely, but only straight up & back. To turn the car, you need to lift it up, and even I grabbed the bumpers to move it - wrong move! The bumpers are definitely not sturdy enough to use as handles, yet they stick out and look like they should be. The car needs to be lifted from the bottom, and I just don't see kids doing that. I think they'd keep grabbing the bumpers to move it as I wanted to do, and soon the bumpers would be off.

Finally, here are some photos!

I, too, love this set! It is plastic, but a very very hard plastic that really does mimic the original furniture of this design (which we had in our home when I was a kid as I am the same age as Julie!). The dolls slide a bit, but stay when posed or pushed up to the table pretty much like they do with most of the other AG tables & chairs. Sorry no pictures - we're moving so it's packed .