This toy works by inserting a 'T-Stick' - a kind of ripcord - into a small slot at the top of the 'gyro wheel' Once the cord is inserted into the slot, pull the cord out as fast you can and this in turn, spins the gyro wheel at an incredible speed. Next, place it on the ground and see it run - and boy, can it run! Sometimes I would pull the cord on this toy and gently wave it from side-to-side just to feel the amazing 'g-forces' from the wheel - and now and again, yours fingers would get a nasty burn from the rubber part of the wheel. These toys were definitely discontinued because of this. I've had this toy for 40 years and I think it's one of the best toys ever made - it's a simple work of art. Information about the toy: Kenner SSP were marketed in Britain by Denys Fisher as RevRods, but in a much more limited range. The Laker Special (as it's known in America) appeared here in lime green and named the Eliminator. Three other models completed the range, the Blazer Special (red), Sidewinder (blue) and Sand Scorcher (yellow). All of these models were featured in the standard SSP range, but in slightly different colours and with name changed around. The British ones are rare. These vehicles were unbelievably strong for a plastic toy and they needed no batteries which prolonged their play life. They began life in 1970 and carried on production right through to the very late seventies and they even saw a revival in the early eighties in the form of T-zzzers which were their short-lived miniature cousins. They remain quite elusive to this day. The cars' flywheel spins up to 20,000 rpm when ripped with the T-Stick and can reach speeds up to 200 mph. In the U.S they were called SSP Racers (Super Sonic Power) and came in around 20 different models with many more colours, they were marketed through the U.S toy company General Mills.

The first eight Pocketeers hit the UK in 1975 - I bought this in 1978 and I think this is the best game in the set. It reminds me of the Monaco GP arcade game by Sega. Under the Tomy Brand - In 1977 - it was renamed Racing Game. At some unknown later date it was renamed again to Speedway. A later identical UK version was called Stock Car Star. Predictably, the Pocketeers (sold in the USA as Tomy Pocket Games) were compact enough to slip into a pocket. Most were games of skill that required manipulating tiny ball bearings, but several incorporated thumbwheel-driven magnets hidden under the playfield that controlled little cars or horses. Over the course of the next few years, British toymaker Palitoy produced a total of 46 Pocketeer titles under license from Tomy. New titles were introduced yearly and it seemed as if the craze would never end. Sadly, as with all toy crazes, things came to a grinding halt in the early eighties when a new breed of microprocessor-controlled handhelds captured the attention of kids worldwide. Pocketeers were certainly the Game Boy games of their time.