Released in 1964, Kar-Zoom from Whitman was a dexterity game that challenged players to score points by “racing their car” through a series of underpasses.
GAMEPLAY
To start, each player chose a coloured wooden disk (car) and gathered around a gameboard illustrated to resemble a racetrack. Approximately 20-inches long, the playing surface was bisected by a series of cardboard partitions in a zig-zag pattern. Each partitioned area, an “underpass,” was assigned a score from one to seven based on its distance from the Start of Turn indicator.
Play alternated between all players, with each player finger-flicking their car through the underpasses to score points. Play continued in this manner until a player reached 20 points. Kar-Zoom had shuffle-board vibes, with players encouraged to knock other players’ cars out of the way to score points.
IN THE BOX
A complete Kar-Zoom game included four coloured disks, four scoring pegs, and an illustrated racetrack built into the box bisected by cardboard partition underpasses. Printed instructions were provided on the inside of the box.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
Kar-Zoom is relatively easy to find on the secondary market. Expect to pay more for a full intact box, free from splits and detached underpasses.
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