Yes, it’s boy’s toys time again - and why not, now that Christmas
is charging towards us like a pissed-off reindeer?
An enormous Scalextric set is the kind of thing you dreamed of owning
when you were ten but could not afford until you reached your twenties.
It’s no wonder so many lofts in Shoreditch are festooned with yards of
track. Experience the sheer joy of forcing your car to spin off a tight
corner, or turn out the lights and see those little headlights glow in
the dark.
The Scalextric story began in 1952 when a certain Mr B. Francis started
making metal cars with clockwork motors. The grooved track and electric
motors came along in 1956, but it wasn’t until the Tri-ang Group
transformed the company in the early 60s that the game began to take the
form we know so well today.
Scalextric survived the advent of the computer with barely a blip in
sales and now the 40-year-old game is as popular as ever. There are
clubs, race centres and websites galore, and a roadshow travels to
various Toys R Us stores during the summer months.
The official enthusiasts’ club, Scalextric Racer, costs pounds 13 to
join and members receive the fab Racer magazine.
And if you want to get your hands on a set before the festive season
begins in earnest, you’d better put your foot down.
Scalextric: pounds 59.99-pounds 119.99
Available from: Hamley’s.
