![]() ![]() By 1964, Scalextric was being advertised as 'the most complete model motor racing system in the world'. In 1960, plastic bodies replaced the original tinplate, and in 1961, production moved to a new factory in the Leigh Park area of Havant. In 1958, Fred Francis sold the Minimodels company to Lines Brothers (who operated as "Tri-ang"). Demand for the toy was immense and the Minimodels factory struggled to keep up with the orders. It appealed to both adults and children as it combined speed, competition and the glamour of Formula One motor racing. Scalextric was unveiled at the Harrogate Toy Fair in 1957 to immediate acclaim. Therefore Scalex-electric became Scalextric. Power was supplied by batteries hidden in a little cardboard hut, with players having their own on-off button to control their cars. Original tin-plate cars had one hard plastic rear wheel and one rubber-tyred wheel, with gave different handling characteristics for left and right corners. Next he introduced rubber slotted track and gave the cars a 'gimbal' wheel to pick up the electric current in the groove of the track. ![]() He experimented by putting small electric motors into Scalex cars and running them on model railway track. He was inspired by seeing model car racing tracks, but wanted to develop the player's control of the car so as to increase the sense of competition. In an attempt to revive his company's flagging fortunes, Fred Francis began to look at alternatives. Eventually the future of the company and its one hundred employees was threatened. By 1956, the novelty of clockwork racing cars had worn off and sales began to fall. ![]() At the peak of its popularity, over 7,000 Scalex models were being produced weekly. In 1952, Minimodels moved to a larger factory in New Lane, Havant to meet the growing demand for the toy cars. Scalex was a range of toy racing cars with clockwork motors which were activated by pulling out the steering wheel. Early products included the Startex toy car range and the very popular Scalex, which was introduced in 1952. The company was based in London and made tinplate toys and models. The forerunner to Scalextric was Scalex, which Francis first produced through the company Minimodels Ltd which he had founded in 1947. 1957, Maserati 250F (left) and Ferrari 375 Grand Prix (right) ![]()
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