Slot Car Brands

Slot car tracks

The first commercial slot cars were made by Lionel and appeared in their catalogues from 1912, drawing power from a toy train rail sunk in a trough or wide slot between the rails. In the 1930s serious hobbyists were racing model cars powered by glow plug engines and guided by a single center rail or by a tether from the center of a circular track.
In 1957, Minimodels converted its Scalex clockwork racers to electricity, creating the famous Scalextric line of slot-guided models. As Scalextric became an instant hit, hobbyists and slot car brands were adapting 1:24 car models to slots.
In 2004, a number of slot car brands introduced digital control systems, which enable multiple cars to run in the same lane and to change lanes at certain points on the course.
There are currently five leading slot car brands that offer slot car tracks. Ninco, Scalextric, SCX, Carrera and Artin sell race sets for starters. In this article you can find some tips and clues in choosing the right box set.
Choosing the right box set

Ninco

If you compare the standard controllers of all makes you conclude that the standard controllers of Ninco are the best.
Ninco

Scalextric

Scalextric is the oldest slot car brand and the most popular slot car racing system.
Scalextric

Artin

Artin is a manufacturor of slot cars and slot car tracks. In the past Artin was not taken seriously by die-hard slot racing enthusiasts, but the firm has moved up to the present and is starting to become very popular.
Artin

Fleischmann

During the sixties, when slot car racing became very popular, Fleischmann decided to enter the market with model racing cars.
Fleischmann

Fly

From the beginning Fly has executed the cars with all the details you want. Other companies followed and for that reason Fly is responsible for the raising level of detailing in the slot car branch at the end of the nineties.
Fly Slot Cars

Jouef

In 1963 Jouef introduced in co-operation with the British manufacturer Playcraft the model racetrack system Record-64. This name was changed into Circuit Routier Electrique at the end of the sixties.
Jouef

Aurora

The American Company Aurora is well known for their HO (1/87-scale) line of slot racing products. John Cuomo, Abe Shikes and Joe Giammarino founded Aurora at the beginning of the fifties. The Company was active in the hobbycraft line.
Aurora slot cars

Strombecker

The American Company Strombecker from Chicago, Illinois, started as a toy maker. The production of slot cars started in 1962 and ceased in the seventies. The first model of Strombecker was a modified version of the battery-powered Maserati 250F.
Strombecker