10 Amazing Scalextric wonders you didn’t know about

Scalextric, the legendary game consisting of a circuit and several cars to race in the living room or in the space of the house, was an essential part of the childhoods of many passionate people about motorsports and competition.

The formative years of these people would not have been the same without them.

However, the tale that surrounds its beginning and the reasons for its success are not as well known as they should be given the enormous popularity that it naturally deserves.

Because of this, in this new entry of Motorbli, we will discuss it, and more specifically, we will highlight ten aspects of Scalextric that the readers may not be familiar with.

What we have to share in the following paragraphs will likely take more than one of you by surprise.

Scalextric-related information that you probably were not aware of.

After this brief introduction, it is time to go to the nougat and shell out those anecdotal and curious details that are not well-known in the illustrious Scalextric game.

This will be done in the order in which they were presented.

1. The term “scale electric cars” comes from its place of origin.

Even though the word “car” in English does not appear in the name, the nomenclature “Scalextric” refers to electric cars on an unknown scale.

The term “scale” translates into Spanish as scale, the letter X stands for unknown, and the suffix “-trick” refers to its power supply.

Therefore, let’s say that when it came time to give it a name, they did not consume a great deal of the head.

In the beginning, there was not a single standard scale for all cars; instead, the rankings varied greatly from one vehicle to the next; this is why there is an X.

Later on, however, it was standardized to 1/32, which is the one that is used today with some exceptions. Despite this, there are still some variations.

Minimodels, a British company that had previously created the Scalex brand, specifically in 1952, which housed a variety of miniature toy cars, was the originator of that concept. Minimodels was founded in 1948.

2. The year 1957, the year that everything officially started

Scalextric did not make its debut into our lives in the form that we are familiar with until five years had passed since the introduction of the original Scalex.

The first models, made of metal and went through a process of hand-made manufacturing, were displayed at the annual toy fair held in the city of Harrogate, which is located in the United Kingdom.

Later on, the process was mechanized to the point where it could be automated, and it started being produced in series using materials such as plastic.

The only reason for this was that there was such a high demand from customers that it was impossible to manufacture the product by hand and still meet all of the requirements for production.

On the other hand, in the 1960s, Minimodels sold Scalextric to the company Tri-ang, which provided it with a significant additional boost.

3. After a few years, he arrived in Spain

. Scalextric was first introduced into Spanish households in 1962 by the company Exin, which had previously invested a significant amount of capital in producing scale models of legendary automobiles such as the Lotus 21, the Cooper F1, and the Ferrari 156.

Because it was sold at a relatively high price then, not everyone could purchase a Scalextric for their homes.

The price has been decreasing to our good fortune, and the product is now very easily accessible.

This is because the dynamics have taken on variety, complexity, and excitement between protective fences, bridges, controls with a more ergonomic design, and more careful vehicles from both a technical and aesthetic point of view.

4. The Seat 600, the first Spanish car to be remade in the modern era

In the 1960s, Seat 600 symbolized Spain’s social progress and economic well-being. It also is the first car of Spanish origin that Exin has recreated and designed in miniature form.

Exin accomplished this achievement. At that time, the “Spanish version’s” level of quality and attention to detail already stood in stark contrast to the standards set by British automobile manufacturers.

Since then, there has been an unstoppable evolution luring subsequent generations of users and retaining those who have already been captured and are entering their senior years.

5. There are two distinct manufacturers for it.

As a direct result of what was covered earlier, Scalextric currently works with two distinct manufacturers, both of whom have been by his side for a considerable amount of time: Hornby, a natural company in the UK, owns the brand worldwide, except in Spain.

On the other hand, Spain is the only country in which Hornby does not have ownership of the brand.

In the case of the nation of Spain, the business Factory of Toys is the entity that owns the rights to the Scalextric brand within its borders; consequently, they are the ones who sell products within Spain under the Scalextric banner.

However, Factory of Toys sells copies under the name of SCX in the rest of the planet; as a result, the user frequently sees two brands in the box of Scalextric products.

On the other hand, not all models are suitable for use with one another.

6. The 1980s are responsible for the lighting

The decade of the 1980s’ was a great leap for Scalextric, as the cars began to provide them with a lighting system, which allowed fans of this game to control small cars carrying lights and engines that were more powerful and faster than those that had previously been available, and even 4×4 units.

This was a significant advancement for the company.

7. In the 1990s, new types of play emerged, as did fiber optic technology.

If the 1980s were a time when Scalextric took a step forward in terms of quality, then the 1990s were just as exciting for the brand due to the introduction of features such as fiber optics for the lighting system, a variety of electronic accessories, and expanded game modes.

One example is the ability to race against other cars controlled by a computer—all of this without discounting the importance of creativity during the construction of the circuits.

The purpose of adding more miniatures of real racing cars and unique accessories included in the expansion was to create a more immersive experience for the player while they were actually playing the game.

8. The world’s longest track, which is virtually identical in length to an actual racetrack

James May, from the United Kingdom, set a Guinness record in 2009 by creating the Scalextric track that is currently the longest in the world. This record is still in effect.

His work consisted of a length of 4.75 kilometers, which is equivalent to that of many real racing circuits, such as Montmeló (4.7), which annually hosts the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix and Catalonia in MotoGP. His work was a length of 4.75 kilometers, which was equivalent to that of many real racing circuits.

A television series filmed at Brooklands Autodrome, located in the town of Weybridge, England, in the southeast of the country, was the impetus that led this ingenious artist to carry out such work.

Brooklands Autodrome is located in the southeast of the United Kingdom.

James May.

9. The maximum speed reached 983 kilometers per hour.

As you read it, keep in mind that a Scalextric racer reached a speed of 983 kilometers per hour. However, since it is a scaled distance, it does have a trick up its sleeve.

The one that was selected to accomplish this goal was a replica of the Formula 1 Honda that, back in 2008, competed in the Grand Circus. This 1/32 scale vehicle reached a top speed of approximately 49.79 kilometers per hour on June 6, equivalent to 30.94 miles per hour in terms of distance traveled.

And another thing to keep in mind is that speed is also measured in proportion to 1/32 of a mile, which is why that ridiculously high number is included in the epigraph.

What has caused you to be speechless? It should also be mentioned that something comparable was also carried out in Spain, albeit on a much smaller scale.

This is evidenced by the fact that in Granada, another track measuring 225 meters in length was exhibited in a shopping center in the Andalusian city.

The construction of this track required approximately 3,000 hours of labor, and it uses about 2,000 LED light diodes.

10. There are many different types of officially sanctioned competitions

Because of the excitement that has been generated by Scalextric ever since it was first introduced to the public, today, there are competitions and official tournaments held, and even endurance races that can last for a significant amount of time.

The first event was born in Barcelona in 1965 and lasted 12 hours. The event was held in this manner for the first time.

What kinds of Scalextric products are currently available to buy?

Scalextric is now available to purchase in a variety of forms and formats, some of which are as follows:

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