The Runabouts are an early set of
Sanrio characters that were introduced in
Japan in
1984 and were discontinued in
1988.
They are one of the oddest examples of Sanrio invention, being a family consisting entirely of vehicles.
The family includes Policecar, Airplane, Helicopter, and Ship. They can go anywhere they want, including the moon.
Their family motto is particularly post-modern Taoist: "Getting there is half the fun when you take a ride with us!"
Merchandise from The Runabouts is highly valuable to serious Sanrio otaku.