slot car

 slot car

Bertram Fred France’s was already a successful manufacture and producing  clockwork and tinplate scale-racing cars.

 when he hit on the idea of adding a small electric  mortar to each vehicle to living things up a bit.

 slot car

The new scaleextric was launched in 1957 at the Harrogate toy fair  in the UK, with a set featuring a pair of 1.32 scale Maserati 250 FS.

The basic principle of the system has endured over the last 50 years, although there has been a number of modifications a fifth wheel which was located in the middle of the vehicle was removed and replaced with brush plates, and the tinplate giveaway to plastic in the 1960s.

. In 2004, a major step was taken with the introduction of new digital sets, which made it possible to raise six individual controlled cars on it two- lane track and even allowed for overtaking.

 slot car

Cars have also got faster, with customised models now reaching scale speeds of approximately 800 miles an hour.

The success of Scalextric also led to the vehicles being uesd such as motorbikes and sidecars, lorries, skateboards and even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and even horses which I do not think was a great success.

 slot car

. But it’s the cars that Scalextric is famous for Fred wasn’t around to see his creation develop, however it turned out that cars aren’t his main passion in life and he sold his mini model company in 1958, just one year after launching Scalextric, so that he could devote his time to is really serious interests of flying and ceiling..

 slot car

There is still plenty vintage sets available boxer from the 1970s in fair condition you would expect to pay hundred  $250 £80 £220.

 slot car

As Scalextric’s has been around for more than half a century there is a mixed age group of collectors of slot cars in mint condition, 70s will set you back about £60 $80 where I’ve seen where a model s at the specialist auctions sell, upwards of £500 $600.

The modern collector is more interested in the digital cars but that’s not to say vintage cars are not still very desirable.

I hope you have found this page on   Slot car  to be both informative and helpful.

Happy hunting from the collectables coach.