SCALEXTRIC – THE CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR THE FUTURE STIRLING MOSS

In days gone by, the approach to Christmas could be marked by the Advent Calendar, the promise of seasonal specials on television, and the Woolworth commercials. Meanwhile, another advertisement appeared to keen future motorists who were still at school -

It all began in 1952 when the engineer Bertram ‘Fred’ Francis of Minimodels Ltd. unveiled his Scalex clockwork model of the Jaguar XK120. In place of a key, the owner activated a hidden fifth wheel by pushing the model down and pulling it backwards, which wound the clockwork motor. Other Scalex models followed, and as the decade progressed, Francis noted how many enthusiasts fitted electric motors to tinplate models to stage miniature racing car battles, the cars mounted on a rail attached to a wooden base.

The subsequent development was Minimodels replacing the clockwork mechanism with a small electric motor and adding a guide. The new set-up used a slotted track sufficiently compact enough for the average table. Scalextric debuted in January 1957 at the Harrogate Toy Fair, with a choice of the MM/C51 Maserati 250, the MM/C52 Ferrari 375, or the MM/C53 Austin Healey 100/6.

The cars ran on a rubber-slotted track that picked up electric current via a ‘gimbal’ wheel, with power from batteries located in a small cardboard hut. The cheapest 3 ft. 7 inches by 2 feet 5-inch set cost.£4 15s. Countless juvenile Fangios craved the mighty 6 ft. 4 inches by 2 feet 5 inches kit at £6 15s 6d. Such a sum was almost definitely parental, rather than pocket money, but the appeal of Scalextric was obvious from the moment you read the instructions:

5 MINUTES after you begin unpacking your ‘SCALEXTRIC’ Kit you will be ready for the start of the first race of your first race meeting. For all you have to do is put the track sections together, connect up your control unit to the rails and battery (or transformer), place the cars on their track and everything is ready.

By the end of the year, toy shops promoted “the fabulous model motor racing game”, as seen on television. Lines Brothers Ltd, the parent company of the Tri-ang, acquired Scalextric in November 1958, and their investment resulted in plastic bodies replacing the original tinplate and introducing new hand controllers. By 1959, would-be F1 champions were advised:

Scalextric needs skill to operate to the full, though many a youngster can show his father a clean pair of rear wheels. Too much speed and cars go into vicious slides – just like the real thing: with practice this slide can be tamed to a controlled drift worthy of Fangio at his best – you’ll be amazed.

At the start of the new decade, a Grand Prix Lotus or Vanwall would have set you back £1 12s 6d, with a 13 ¾ inch ‘Full Stright track section for 6s 9d. 1964 saw the first Scalextric World Championship in London. The January 1965 issue of Model Cars magazine excitedly reported how the Porsche and Lotus miniatures reached “scale speeds of over 150 mph” and:

Former World Champion, Jim Clark, who acted as timekeeper, led the terrific burst of cheers for Fritz Jakober - for 14-year-old Fritz of Lucerne sailed through heats and finally won the overall championship at the miniature European Grand Prix organised by Scalextric.

Today, Scalextric has a global following and the original schoolchildren who received a set for Christmas in 1957 are now pensioners. It remains one of the most desired gifts for generations of car enthusiasts - and here is just one reminder of why: