Rola-matic vehicles are Matchbox models where a lug on one of the wheels engages and moves part of the vehicle, such as spinning a fan or radar dish, or causing an engine to move up and down.

In some cases multiple wheels were used, each wheel engaging and moving a different part of the vehicle. These vehicles are recognizable by the moving part(s), specialized wheels, and the fact that their bases are labeled “Rola-matics” instead of “Superfast“. Rola-matics were issued in the 1970s and 1980s before being discontinued.

I found one last week in the secondhand toys store: Turbo Fury. The car has turbo fans at the rear which rotate when the car moves.

I don’t have a premium WordPress account, so I can’t upload video directly to my blog, but I have uploaded to Youtube, a video clip of Turbo Fury. Matchbox Rolamatics Turbo Fury

You can see on the wheels a couple of lugs which come into contact with the cream wheels, which turn the rear rotors.

There were about a dozen Rola-matic vehicles in the Matchbox range.

Hot Rocker (67) and Turbo Fury (69)

Hot Rocker #67 is a Ford Capri with an engine that rocks as the car moves. Recently Hot Wheels have put out a couple of models similar to Matchbox Rola-matics. Crate racer like Hot Rocker has an engine which shakes when the vehicle moves.

Crate Racer engine shaking illustrated on card lugs on wheels cause the engine to shake