Cobi (building blocks)
Cobi is a Polish toy company headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. Founded in 1987 as a brand of puzzle and board games, it is now known for producing Lego-compatible building block sets, specifically military-themed ones.
History
Cobi was founded in Warsaw on April 1987 as a producer of puzzles and board games. In 1992, the company started producing their first Lego-compatible building block sets. Due to the growing popularity of their early building block sets, Cobi began to prioritize the production of such product.In 2001, Cobi opened two new offices in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Then on 2 February 2006, it was announced that British brand Best-Lock would purchase a part of Cobi as part of a merger agreement.
Products
Cobi products are all produced in a factory located in Mielec. One of their most popular product range are replicas of historic and present military vehicles and equipment, recreated in building block form. These sets have also been sold as exclusives at The Tank Museum in Bovington Camp, Dorset. Cobi has stated that their models are not intended as a glorification of war, rather, they are only meant to be replica creations akin to model kits.Aside from military replicas, Cobi also produces licensed models of cars and vehicles from leading automobile brands like Maserati, Jeep and Renault. Cobi has also moved into ancient history themes, with sets based on the Roman Empire.