The Streamliner functions both as a colourful, tactile and robust plaything for children and visually striking aesthetic object for adults. Its simple, solid wooden form and smooth, sensual high-lustre paint finish aslo embody the Swedish design philosophy of beautiful, functional design on a human scale. The aim of the Kalmar-based company Playsam, which was founded by Carl Zedig in 1984, was to produce well designed, functional and aesthetically pleasing toys. Ulf Hanses, a Swedish industrial designer, was the first to attract Playsam´s attention. Hanses had previously created a range of toys for disabled children during the early 1980s, and these subsequently caught the eye of Zedig. Hanses´s existing designs went on to form the basis for the Streamliner, a simple wooden car model, stripped down to its formal essence, with an emphasis on its smooth tactile and colourful visual properties. The toy made its first appearance at the Nuremberg Toy Fair.
