By: “DragonKingKarl” Karl Stern (Patreon / Facebook / Email)

Webmaster & Writer - When It Was Cool

Podcast Host - Wrestling Observer, When It Was Cool

The Green Machine by Marx Retro Toy Review

In the mid-1970s I was a kid in rural north Alabama far away from any major toy stores or major discount stores. However, a local general merchandise store called “Elmore’s” carried in stock the amazing kid’s riding toy called The Green Machine by Marx.

Unlike a tricycle or child’s plastic toy cars, The Green Machine by Marx was marketed towards older kids, specifically in the 9- to 12-year-old age range. I was in Elmore’s Discount Store with my dad sometime around my 8th or 9th birthday, I don’t remember which, and saw they had one… exactly ONE… in stock. I had to have it.

I remember numerous commercials, especially during Saturday morning cartoons, showing The Green Machine in action. The videos usually showed kids riding it on paved driveways or parking lots and doing cool spinouts with The Green Machine’s unusual steering device- two handles which pivoted the rear axle of the toy.

As I told you, I lived in the country, there was very little pavement around, but my house sat on top of a hill and… well… you can probably guess how I wanted to try out my new Green Machine. Yes, by rolling down the hill as fast as possible and then shifting it into a hard tailspin.

My dad bought The Green Machine and brought it home in its wonderful, big rectangular box. Of course, it is the 1970s and some assembly was required.

My dad opened the box and began taking out the pieces and putting them together. There was a plastic seat which ended up not lasting too long. I remember riding my Green Machine for years with a make-shirt wooden seat attached long after the plastic seat broke. Worse yet, the one we bought was packaged incorrectly with two of the same leavers. Remember, I previously told you the store only had ONE in stock, so taking it back and getting another one was not an option, so again, my dad rigged the wrong sided handlebar to work. It looked goofy, but it did work.

My cousins and I had many hours of fun riding this ridiculous improvised contraption down the hill in front of my house, hitting a hard tailspin and flipping head over heels. It would kill me now, but kids are very resilient, especially we from the 1970s. It’s a hard wonder we didn’t have a can of beer in hand or a flaming bottle rocket in hand also. I can remember the all-plastic (wheels and all) Green Machine sitting in my front yard for years after I outgrew it. Occasionally, even as teenagers, my cousins and I would periodically try to ride The Green Machine down the hill in front of my house until it finally fell completely apart by the mid-1980s.

Over the years The Green Machine would be redesigned and repurposed for a number of other toys including a Bat Machine version based on the Batman comics. I never had the Batman version, but I will never fail to appreciate what a great toy the Green Machine was.

Oh yeah, and to answer a question you may have wondered- did the Green Machine work well on grass too? All I can tell you is that it worked well enough for a whole neighborhood to have hours and hours of fun on this insane machine.

The Green Machine first hit toy shelves in 1978. I was seven years old. Perfect timing.

If you found this article interesting, please consider becoming a Patreon supporter.  That is how When It Was Cool keeps our website and podcasts online, plus you get lots of bonus content including extra podcasts, articles, ebooks, and much more.  Check out our Patreon Page to see what's up!