Slot car racing has experienced an incredible transformation, beginning with the early prototypes that ran on model rail tracks and culminating in today’s dynamic racing machines that flawlessly navigate 360-degree loops.
Here’s a look back at how it all began, and the influential developments that has made slot car racing what it is today.
1911
US company Lionel pioneered the first true racing set, featuring miniature drivers and a heavy tinplate design. The cars were powered by AC electric motors and users could control their speed on a modified model train track.
Artwork of a boy playing with 1911 Lionel slot cars. | Image Credit: D. Helber via wikipedia.
1912
Slot car sales went gangbusters. Lionel discontinued their car sets after World War I, but during the following 40 years, American and European companies manufactured cars that ran on diesel, rubber bands and wind-up clockwork mechanisms.
1936
German toy company Marklin issued a racing set with two heavy tinplate cars. Until then, slot cars had run on a raised rail, not a slot.
1957
Slot car racing began to take off in Britain and the US. Scalextric made tinplate cars with a spring motor. Bertram ‘Fred’ Francis designed a car with a rotary guide on the front, which ran into a slot track made of molded rubber.
Very early Scalextric slot car models in 1:30 scale, circa 1957. These metal-bodied racers were electrified versions of Scalex clockwork cars, and are among the first commercially offered slot cars of the modern era. They represent the Maserati 250F (left) and the Ferrari 375 Grand Prix cars. | Image Credit: D. Helber via Wikipedia.
1961
The first commercial slot car raceway opened in the US.
1963
The Wall Street Journal estimated the value of the model car racing market was $100 million dollars. There were about 3,000 raceways across America and 200 in Europe.
1966
The first pro-racing series was held in the US. Racers began to come up with aerodynamic designs for the car bodies with little resemblance to actual race cars; hence they were nicknamed ‘thingies’.
1968
Sales began to decline sharply. Some blamed a blizzard that hindered people from attending the annual industry trade show in Chicago, while others believed fans were discouraged by the lack of competition regulation.
1973
Most commercial raceways had closed.
1980's
Lionel reproduced its original car sets and people increasingly began to collect vintage slot cars.
Today
Slot car racing continues today among a smaller group of dedicated enthusiasts. Retro racing using cars from the 1960s and early 70s with modern Chinese-made motors is particularly popular. The much-loved hobby has also attracted a new generation of drivers, with young children and teenagers embracing slot car racing.
Cars are ready to take off at our Albert Park inspired slot car track.
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