Scalextric! Scalextric! Time For Tea?
Remember a time before computer games? Classic Scalextric ad might help jog your memory...
You might have difficulty persuading a modern teenager, but in the days before video games, Scalextric was about as exciting as toys got. It was fast, often frustrating - and pretty much guaranteed to put small dents into the skirting board as the cars hurtled off the track in all direction. It was also where the seeds were planted that made many of us lust after, and sometimes go and buy, full sized versions of former models.
And as the advert shows, by the early 80s Scalextric had evolved from being just side-by-side racing with chicanes, crossovers and even the spectacular digital timing board and pitlanes seen here. We particularly like the slow-motion crash footage as well; a tacit acknowledgement of what most owners were going to use the sets for. As for racing in the dark with headlights on; it really didn't get much more exciting back then. You can almost smell that oily, electric burning smell, can't you?
And for some perspective, the £108 RRP for the top-spec set shown at the end works out at something over £400 in 2014 pounds.
If that's not quite enough, we also found this very strange late 90s Scalextric advert, which appears to be what we'd now call a viral, albeit before the age of video sharing on t'internet. Divorced dad collects son to play Scalextric but leaves his daughter behind, because, well you'll see.
Deeply odd. And we suspect the son would have been happier with Mario Kart on the N64.
Slightly odd 'divorced dad' Scalextric viral
F40 and a Diablo with working headlights, some super light minis that are just a motor, wheels, and a shell. Quite tricky. Loads of other stuff, some of it quite old. Old F1 car springs to mind but can't for the life of me remember which.
Having seen the prices in the original ad above, I'm guessing it always was pricey.
Bit worried my boy may not be a PH'er as he keeps asking for a train set, lol
The yellow 1979 Renault Turbo
Six wheel Tyrrell in green (same size wheels at the Escort Mexico...)
Wolf
Lotus 72
Lotus 79
Ligier
For some reason the Renault was the most predictable/smoothest and the Ligier was the fastest. I loved that Renault!
I also had the aforementioned Mexico and a white 911. The latter had a huge whaletail but for some reason was hopelessly slow - it definitely coloured my early impressions of 911s!
Fortunately my sister got me a new set for Xmas last year, 2x Nissan GTR drift cars, also a normal GTR grip car and a Gallardo. Still an awesome present even now.
But, they are all generally pretty tedious and frustrating, it isnt actually that much fun, they arent really cars, there is no sense of driving.
It sounds a bit sad, but PC and Console driving games are way better.
They are one of those things I get nostalgic about and have some kind of pang/frisson of excitement when I see it, but, they were really a bit rubbish, they key thing though was doing things with your mates, setting up all available track, two transformers and doing a Le Mans in his long living room, putting Pledge on the track to introduce a bit of driftiness. Getting a new car was pretty exciting, realising your new GT40 wasnt as fast as a Mini Clubman less so.
I launched way too many metros into the wall after trying the banked bends flat out
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