Formula-1 cars of Ninco

Ninco offers five Formula-1 slot cars

The last few years the detailing of slot cars has increased to a very high level. All major model-racing companies offer exiting Formula-1 slot cars. At this moment Ninco offers five different models.

Ferrari

The first Formula-1 model of Ninco was the Ferrari F-310. The model is available since 1998. If you want to enjoy the racing experience of a Ferrari it is possible to drive the number 5 car of Michael Schumacher and the number 6 car of Eddie Irvine. The name of the sponsor Marlboro is replaced by a barcode.

Steering front wheels

The design of the steering front wheels was revolutionary in 1998. In the beginning the model-racing hobbyist around the world liked the concept. Many crashes later the popularity of the steering front wheels decreased despite the realistic look. It seems to be difficult for some consumers to repair the front suspension after a crash.

Jordan

The Jordan Peugeot 197 was the second Formula-1 model of Ninco. In 1997 Giancarlo Fisichella (no. 11) and Ralf Schumacher (no.12) drove the yellow Jordan Formula-1 cars. The cigarette sponsor Benson and Hedges is replaced by the name "Bitten & Hisses".
Together with the Ferrari the Jordan was offered in a Formula-1 set in 2000 and 2001. A NC-1 motor powered the cars of the set. Like other slot car brands Ninco put the weakest motors in the cars of most of the sets. In 2002 Ninco changed the strategy by using NC2 motors in the DTM set.
The Formula-1 cars are separately sold with NC-2 motors with a strong magnet. Like other Ninco cars the magnet is not too powerful. Other brands offer more down-force, but with the Formula-1 cars of Ninco it is possible to slide in the corners.

Stewart and Sauber

In 1999 Ninco released two other F1 models: the Steward-Ford SF02 and Sauber Petronas C17. The Stewart was driven in 1998 by Rubens Barichello (no. 18) and Jean Magnussen (or Jos Verstappen) (no. 19). The Sauber Petronas C17 was steered by Jean Alesi (no. 14) and Johnny Herbert (no.15).

Arrows and Minardi

In 1999 Ninco wanted to release two other models, but the Minardi Ford M01 and Arrows A20 did not enter the market due to license problems. Ninco was not permitted to produce these models that year. SCX was entitled to release these models at that time. Ninco had to postpone the release of The Arrows A20 until 2002.
The drivers of the Arrows in 1999 were Taranosuke Takagi (no. 14) and Pedro de la Rosa (no. 15). Ninco has to wait with the production of the Minardi cars until further notice. The real Minardi drivers were Luca Badour (no. 20) and Marc Gene (no. 21 Spanish).

Conclusion

With the exception of the Ferrari, the Formula-1 models of Ninco are not the most popular cars in the field. Ninco is missing the appealing replicas of McLaren or Williams. The technique of all F-1 models is exactly the same. For the average consumer it is difficult to maintain the models. It is not an easy job to repair or clean a F-1 model of Ninco. On the track the Ninco cars are attractive to drive. Knowing that people prefer actual models of the Formula-1 scene the engineers of Ninco must realize that many Formula-1 fans prefer models of other makes, such as SCX and Scalextric.

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