Noddy Kiddie Rides

Noddy is a well known character created by the late Enid Blyton in the 1950s. Since then, various different kiddie ride companies released Noddy kiddie rides.

## Edwin Hall & Co Rides

At least 3 Noddy kiddie rides were released by Edwin Hall & Co between 1957 and 1964. A Noddy swingboat (a Mickey Mouse version also exists), a Noddy Carousel, and lastly a Noddy Car.

## Amutec/Bell-Fruit Rides

In May of 1993, Amutec built a Noddy Car for slot-machine corporation Bell-Fruit. There were three releases of this Noddy Car ride:

Standard w. System 2000 timer: featured a MIDI rendition of Noddy's Car, whilst a button makes a horn sound play.

Video Option: featured a CRT monitor screen, playing a looped clip from a Noddy episode whilst the ride moved.

Standard w. Soundmaster timer: featured the Noddy's Toyland Adventures ending theme and a different horn sound effect. Released in small quantities.

## Photo-Me Rides

In 1994, photo booth corporation Photo-Me gained the rights to build a Noddy ride, using newly-acquired kiddie ride parts supplied by OMC Electronics. This was Photo-Me's first kiddie ride and its success followed towards a further number of rides, using the same parts, and some customisations of other rides using alternate parts and timers. The ride used a completely new build of Noddy's Car and a new Noddy figure, which sat beside the rider and appeared friendlier than the figure that Amutec built.

Few years later, OMC made another Noddy ride with Photo-Me, that being the earlier version of Kidzstuff Noddy.

There were two notable variants of this ride, featuring:

* Buttons lined up horizontally, with generic clipart as their graphics and playing horn and skid sounds.
* Buttons lined up vertically, with images of Noddy, Mr. Plod, and Big Ears, playing two different horn sounds.

## Bafco Ride

In 1996, BAFCO gained the rights to reissue a Noddy ride as part of a business collaboration with Photo-Me, whom distributed their rides. Their Noddy Car ride was identical to the previous version, but featuring the Soundmaster timer used on Amutec's version, a repaint of the Noddy character, and one single button acting as both START and Horn, rather than several.

## OMC/Kidzstuff Ride

In 1997, Australian ride corporation Kidzstuff, after gaining parts from the then-newly-defunct OMC Electronics (including ROSie timers) rebuilt the Photo-Me Noddy Car ride. All assets remained identical, apart from fitting an OMC 2.0. base and a ROSie timer into the ride. New audio tracks and sound effects were imported to this update, including quotes from Noddy, Miss Pink Cat, and Mr. Plod.

There are four known variants of this ride:

* OMC/Photo-Me Version #1: featuring four vertical-placed buttons.
* OMC/Photo-Me Version #2 :Same as the one above, but using the OMC 1.0. Base.
* KidzStuff V1: a version in which two buttons were removed due to no additional sound effects for them.
* KidzStuff V2: an updated version, being identical to the former, but with the extended "Make Way For Noddy" theme tune.

## R.G. Mitchell Ride

In June of 2001, R.G. Mitchell released a new version of the Noddy Car, based on Make Way for Noddy. It features a completely new mould, including newer character figures for both Noddy and Tessie Bear, whom plays a pivotal role in the series. It features four push buttons which play quotes and Noddy's car's horn sound effect from the show.

## Jolly Roger Rides

In early 2006, Jolly Roger Amusement Rides came under acquisition of R.G. Mitchell and rebuilt a number of their rides, one of which was the Noddy Car. While retaining the original design and mould, it added a new windshield to the ride which made way for a new dashboard. It played four horn sounds activated by the single Push button, and ran using one of Jolly Roger's own bases and Stamar 4000 timers.

A Video Option was released in November of 2006, featuring the video clip from Make Way For Noddy's opening sequence. It also removed the Tessie Bear character.

In 2009, a Noddy in Toyland Carousel was released, featuring Noddy's Car and Mr. Plod's Patrol Car (both sharing the same mould), circulating around Noddy's house. It plays the Make Way for Noddy theme song, despite the fact that this ride is from Noddy in Toyland.

## Other Reissues & Refurbishments

* Numerous knock-off Noddy rides exist, branded from generic car rides. Cogan have made a knockoff Noddy kiddie ride, under the name Autopicchio, a long time ago.
* A Rare OMC Version with a 1.0. Base Exists.
* In Turčianske Teplice in Slovakia, a Bell-Fruit Noddy Kiddie ride with different headlights, square buttons and bypassed START Button has been spotted.
* At Smiths Arcade in Skegness and Playmania Elsecar Heritage Centre, Amutec Noddy rides with the Jolly Roger audio on a Stamar timer exist.
* Some Bell-Fruit Noddy kiddie rides have been refurbished by Whittaker Brothers.
* A Kidzstuff Noddy ride without Noddy the fiberglass model exists.
* A strange refurbishment of the Edwin Hall & Co. Noddy ride, called "Nod-I" has been spotted. It featured a Stamar timer.
* There are numerous units of the Jimbo & The Jet Set Kiddie Ride which feature Photo-Me's Noddy figure riding inside him that exist.
* Kiderplanet of Germany Re-furbished some Bell-Fruit and Kidzstuff Noddy Kiddie rides.
* At The Black Cat Amusements, Towyn, North Wales And Bream Leisure Park, Bream, Somerset, Bafco Model's With No Announcements And Great Audio Quality Can Be Found.
* At least one Bell-Fruit Noddy kiddie ride (example is sited at Smiths Amusements, Skegness) was refurbished by Jolly Roger, and now uses the same board as the Jolly Roger Make Way For Noddy kiddie ride.

## Interesting Facts

* Bell-Fruit Noddy car kiddie ride was actually based off a 1992 Dekker Noddy Car Toy.
* The Bell-Fruit/Amutec Aubrey Mouse Car used the same car mould as Noddy, but the grille and interior are different.

## Gallery

The Rare OMC Version with a 1.0. base.The Bell-Fruit Noddy Kiddie ride with Different Headlights in Kocka, Turčianske Teplice, Slovakia. Which is Refurbished by Kinderplanet.This is the Noddy Car toy that Bell-Fruit Noddy was inspired of.Video-Option Noddy
## Miscellaneous

The Kidz Stuff Noddy Kiddie ride without the Noddy FiberglassA Strange, Repainted Bell Fruit Noddy Kiddie rideOne example of A Kidzstuff Noddy Kiddie ride refurbished by Kinderplanet.Ditto, but With a different paint job.An example of a BellFruit Noddy kiddie ride refurbished by KinderplanetDitto, but with a blue base.