Scalextrics

Scalextric were first manufactured in Hampshire, England, in 1957, and the plastic range of vehicles was introduced in 1960, while the tinplate cars were phased out.

Scalextric has been held by firms including Tri-ang and Rovex Ltd, and finally Hornby over the years.

Production of Scalextric and Hornby trains began in Westwood, Margate, in 1971.

In 1982, Hornby Hobbies Ltd (later Hornby Plc) was created as an independent corporation, and Scalextric production was moved to China in the late 1990s.

Today's Scalextric models are unrivalled in terms of accuracy and intricacy.

Scalextric, not wanting to be left behind as the world moved more and more towards digital technology, released its first totally digital racing set in 2004 (multi-car racing with lane changing functionality).

Scalextric SportWorld was also created, allowing racers to connect their Scalextric sets to the internet and participate in online racing in a global community.

Scalextric now has a slot car system for people of all ages.

'My First Scalextric,' a simple to construct and operate 1/64 scale track system, is available for younger drivers.

Followed by Micro Scalextric, which employs the same track system but has bigger layout options and extra track features.

Then there's the well-known and well-loved conventional 1/32 track system, which comes with a wide range of cars, tracks, and accessories for the more experienced racer.

ARC, a Scalextric App-based race management application, and Spark Plug, which allows you to control your Scalextric Car with your phone or tablet, are two recent improvements.