Time to check out yet another retro fav of mine, the Cobra Ferret. This G.I. Joe classic was produced in 1985 and has a hand full of neat gimmicks that made this vehicle such a fun toy to own! Growing up, I didn't have an extensive G.I. Joe collection, as a matter a fact I rarely played with Joes as I was principally a Star Wars kid. But some of the toys from the G.I. Joe line that did find their way into my toy box, was the Cobra Ferret. Its good looks and budget pricing made it a favored package umumgst us kids. And it didnt hurt to add Storm Shadow on the box art either! As with most G.I. Joe Vehicles, this ATV had a remarkable assortment of features despite its small size. Let's take a look.
The first thing that I thought was a nice but overlooked feature was its removable rubber tires. Hard plastic was typically what you would have expected on this rather inexpensive vehicle, but Hasbro cut no corners. Even down to the side wall, "Cobra ATV" is embossed giving a realistic touch. Also, there's a removable storage in the rear portion of the seat. Perfect place for small accessories.
The Cobra Ferret arsenal comes equipped with two removable missiles, and a steering controlled front turret! Such cool engineering! Turning the handlebars turns the turret from side to side effortlessly! The turret also can pivot up and down. The front wheels have a smooth two-piece linkage that can be manually turned from side to side.
Compact and highly detailed the decals give almost a model like appearance. Now when it comes to mounting a figure, I found it challenging to keep Storm Shadow seated. It isn't horrible, but it would have been nice if there were perhaps peg stands. Adding a second rider was even more challenging as the seating is very tight, but still workable.
Overall this has much nostalgia for me, spending much of its time being heavily used outside. Its tried, and true durability held up through my childhood abuse, and other than some peeling stickers, this vehicle is an outstanding representation of big things in small packages.