A Drive Down Lombard Street dexterity slide puzzle

Edward Hordern IPP Puzzle Exchange – San Francisco, USA, August 2009 210 made.
Presented by Brian Young. Made by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle Australia. Designed by Brian Young.
Original Price: AU$75.00 

One of these puzzles sold at Puzzle Paradise auction May 23 GBP 445 and another in March 24 for USD 405.

In July 2024  one of these puzzles resold at Puzzle Paradise auction for Euro 235 (at the current exchange rate that’s about AU$388)

The object of the puzzle is to take a drive down Lombard Street, from Hyde Street to Leavensworth Street. Manoeuvre the ball bearing from tile to tile, starting at Hyde Street and deliver it to Leavensworth Street. Beware, a wrong move can cause a crash, forcing you to start all over again at the top.

To do this you will need to complete this dexterity slide puzzle. This sliding block puzzle is very different to others. Firstly, you cannot touch the tiles that you must slide because they are behind perspex. You must use dexterity to do this. Generally, more than one block at a time will be moving which means you must think many moves ahead. Secondly, you use the blocks that you are sliding to deliver the ball bearing from top to bottom of the puzzle.

This is like a maze because at the same time you are sliding the blocks you are forming the maze-like track that the ball bearing must take to arrive at the bottom. Most of the pieces are different; that is the tracks in each tile that carry the ball bearing are different. There are many different ways of solving the puzzle, some with more or less dexterity, but Brian intended that the ultimate solution would be to manipulate the ball bearing with very little dexterity; ie: a minimum number of block movements.

There are two choices of wood for the tiles. Either 1. Western Australian Jarrah (red toned wood) SOLD OUT or 2. Queensland Blackbean (brown streaky type wood). The frame of the puzzle is made from Papua New Guinean Rosewood.

Size: 75mm x 144mm x 35mm