It’s been an iconic British brand - and a staple of many fond childhood memories - for decades. And now, Scalextric is 70 years old. Martin Baines, chairman of the The National Scalextric Collectors Club, which is now 40 and has thousands of members across the world, says: “Scalextric has been in the public consciousness for decades and it shows no sign of fading. It’s tactile, the whole family can play and once you’ve got the bug it never leaves you.”

Simon Owen, head of brand for Scalextric, which has just sold the business for £20m to Purbeck Capital Partners, says its appeal shows little sign of waning, despite it being an analogue toy in a digital world. He explains: “Scalextric has something which video and online games will never have and that’s a physical presence in your home.”

Based at the firm’s headquarters in Margate, he continues: “Once a computer is turned off, that McLaren car the kids have been looking at goes away; it vanishes. But a Scalextric model is something you can physically touch. You can play with it and it moves - that’s very exciting for youngsters. We go to Scalextric events all the time and kids are still amazed that they can make a car whizz around a track just by pulling a trigger.”

15th April 1965: British motor-racing driver Graham Hill (1929 - 1975) takinmg part in a slot car race at Springfields Youth Club in Hackney, London(Image: Getty Images)

Scalextric fans travel to the UK from as far away as Australia and the US to take part in National Scalextric Collectors Club swap meets. Martin, now a grandfather, based in West Yorkshire, says: “I was ten years old when I got my first Scalextric set in 1965; it was a treasured toy. I started collecting them as a teenager and I’ve continued, on and off, ever since. Once you’ve got the bug it never quite leaves you.

"We saw a big wave of enthusiasm for it during the pandemic, because people were looking for things to do in the confines of their home and that uptick in interest has continued.” Club members, aged from their 20s up to 70 and beyond, include serious collectors, who will have one of everything ever made. Then they'll buy three of the more modern models - one to use, one to give to the kids or grandkids and one for display.

Martin explains: “Some have rooms dedicated to the hobby and limited edition sets can be quite valuable.” The ‘Holy Grail’ for collectors is a rare C70 Bugatti model. With few made and only around 50 still in existence, a top condition model can command a price tag nudging £10,000. A 1967 James Bond Aston Martin set - complete with ejector seat - is similarly sought after.

Scalextric in 2026(Image: Chelsea Reeves)

But Scalextric had humble beginnings, back in 1947, when Hampshire engineer Fred Francis added an electric motor to the Scalex tin cars already being produced by his company, Minimodels Ltd. Scalex - electric became Scalextric. He motorised his first cars in 1956 and unveiled the Scalextric system at the Harrogate Toy Fair in January 1957.

An immediate success, appealing to both adults and children, it tapped into an increasing appetite for the newly glamorous world of motorsport. Simon, who’s been at Hornby for 17 years, says: “This was the dreary post war period, yet you had these toys which were brightly coloured, quick and fun. It tied into the rise in popularity of Grand Prix racing. Names such as Mark Hawthorn, Jim Clark, and then Jackie Stewart were in the headlines. Motorsport was exciting and fun. Suddenly, rather than just pushing models of cars around the carpet, you could race them for real around your living room.”

By 1958 Lines Brothers - who operated as Tri-ang - had brought the company and replaced the original tinplate used for the models with plastic. Sales took off further with celebrities like The Beatles, Bruce Forsythe and Marty Wilde all endorsing the brand. The first Scalextric catalogue produced was a simple one pager. Within 12 months, it was a jam-packed 24 pages with the toy advertised as ‘the most complete model motor racing system in the world'.

John Lennon Paul McCartney George Harrison and Ringo Starr between performances at the Coventry theatre on 17 November 1963 race toy Scalextric cars(Image: Mirrorpix)

Production was subsequently taken over by Hornby, now Hornby Hobbies. And last month (Feb) the company agreed its sale, which has been described as ‘hugely exciting’. Ken Brown is Emeritus Professor of History at Queen's University in Belfast, with a specialist interest in the British toy industry. He says: “I think every generation looks back with fondness on those toys they had as a child. Even the names are evocative. And the ones which continue to stand out were brilliantly marketed in their day, or caught the cultural pulse of the time.

“Scalextric arrived when, in real life, trains were being replaced by motorcars and the heyday of British motorsport was underway. It’s little wonder it was popular. People have always wanted to recreate the world in miniature, too - whether that’s railways, battlefields or racing tracks. Perhaps it’s a way of being in control of what’s around you.”

Meanwhile, for Simon, Scalextric has been a ‘lifelong passion.’ He played with Scalextric as a child, sold sets as a teenager working in a model shop and went on to become brand manager. And he recognises that for many enthusiasts it is much more than a simple toy or hobby. He says: “I think, as humans, we are programmed to collect things that bring us joy and that we can cling on to when things are difficult.

Scalextric (Image: Chelsea Reeves)

"Across the world, there's so much change, flux, and uncertainty. But Scalextric has been a constant for the last 60 plus years. When you play, you're not thinking about all these other things that cause you grief and problems. You're just thinking about beating your friend or your son and crossing that winning line."