Slot cars have been around since 1912, when Lionel made its first slot cars and tracks. Its business did not last very long — Lionel dumped the cars for model trains in 1915. An almost 40-year-drought followed until 1954, when a British slot-car enthusiast club called the Southport Model Engineering Society created a much-copied 60-foot long track for 1:32 scale cars. The modern, collectible-slot-car era had begun.

Not long thereafter, in 1957, a U.K. company called Minimodels introduced its first Scalextric slot cars. Examples of single-passengers roadsters from that year include a C55 Vanwall and a C54 Lotus. In 1963, Scalextric released its first car with lights (an MM/E1 Lister Jaguar) and its first motorcycle (a B1 Typhoon, complete with sidecar).

These cars, along with other models, gave slot-car fans plenty to get excited about. The biggest manufacturer was a U.S. company called Aurora — cars riding on the Aurora Thunder...

By the middle of the 1960s, no self-respecting town in the United States was without a slot-car center, where kids and their parents could bring their cars to race on enormous, banked tracks. But just like Lionel, the operators of these enterprises weren’t in the game for long as the fad quickly faded out. Some of the dedicated core of slot-car fans that remained turned to the companionship of clubs, while others set up increasingly elaborate slot-car layouts in basements across the land.

About our sources | Got something to add?

▼ Expand to read the full article ▼

Interviews & Articles

When Slot Cars Were Kings of the Arcades

Growing up in postwar Europe, there wasn’t much money around, so you had to make your own amusements. I’d look at the toys in a to… [more]

Dave Rasmussen Knows Show Rods

I got interested in show rods as a boy in the late 1960s. We all built models back then. There was no Nintendo and only three or f… [more]

Japan's Best Postwar Export? Tinplate Cars

I used to have a huge collection of diecast 1/43rd-scale Dinky Toys, Corgi Toys, and things like that. I had so many that it got t… [more]

Collecting Toy Cars, from Diecast Chevys to Lithographed Tin

Ron Sturgeon: I had an automotive repair shop in about 1976 and spent a lot of time repairing Mercedes. About 1979 I decided to st… [more]

Toy Cars, A Healthy Addiction

I’ve been collecting vintage toys since 1982. I started slowly and methodically, partly for lack of information, mostly for lack o… [more]

▼ Expand this section

Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

DFW Elite Toy Museum

DFW Elite Toy Museum

Ron Sturgeon's excellent gallery of fancy model cars and other vehicles. Nice high resolution shots with classy mus… [read review or visit site]

Race Car Toys And Automobilia

Race Car Toys And Automobilia

Paul Chenard's impressive collection of vintage model race cars (mostly European) including Hotwheels, Dinky, Match… [read review or visit site]

The Show Room

The Show Room

This gallery at Dave's Show Rod Rally features model show rods from 1960 to 2001. Favorites include the 1958 Thunde… [read review or visit site]

VW Toys and Models

VW Toys and Models

A comprehensive site completely dedicated to miniature Volkswagen vehicles. Browse hundreds of toys by country, man… [read review or visit site]



Other Great Reference Sites: Model Cars

Top eBay Auctions

Showing 60. See all 618 by  highest bidmost watchedcompleted
1965 Eldon 12 Volt Top Eliminator Drag Strip Set With Slot Cars Box And TrackOld Store Stock 42 Tjet Chassis Motors Nm In Original Mailing Box Slot Car Lot#bScalextric TrackSlot.it 1/32 Scale Slot Cars -- Lot Of 7 Porsche 956/962 Cars -- Mint In BoxCox /monogram /revell /amt / Vintage Slot Car 1/24 / 1/25 Slot CarScx 1/32 Digital Gt Slot Car Set 3 Cars W/ Headlights & Pit Box D10009x510 New!Aurora T-jet Slot Car, Xl Ferrari Gto , Red/white Stripes #1 Part #2741 - RareCox Lola T70 Mkii 1/24 Scalextric 100% Original Just This Time!Aurora Afx Super Ii Complete Car And BoxAurora Original T-jet Hot Rod Roadster Slot Car - Nm - Gray - Vintage1960's Aurora Automatic 4 Way Traffic Light W/timer 1466 Nmib Slot Car Lot#a30Slot Car Track - 4 Lane1960's Aurora Hot Rod Coupe 1554 Black Slot Car In Box Lot #q5 Rare Color!Cox 1/24 Scale Cheetah Slot Car, All Original, Excellent Condition1960's Aurora Thunderbird 1544 Metallic Gray / Tan Slot Car Nmib Lot #q Rare !Pioneer Slot Car J-code Special 1967 Chevy Camaro Rs Red Racer Test Assembly1/24 Slot Car Motor Analyzer Third Eye 3000-mp1972 Aurora Afx Super Ii Red / Black 1788-881 Nm/ Mint In BoxScalextric 'sport' 1/32 Scale Slot Cars -- Lot Of 8 Sports Cars -- Mint In Box1960's Aurora Thunderbird 1544 Black Slot Car Nmib Lot #q Rare Color!1/24 Scale Drag Slot CarSlot Classic Jaguar Mk2Aurora Afx Super Ii Quadra-lam Armature,nos,factory Sealed,never Used,awesomeAwesome! Vintage 1/24 Parma "pennzoil Racing" Slot Car CollectionFly 'gulf' Porsche 917k Le Mans '70 - Teamset - Extrem Rare, New !!!!!1960's Aurora Huge Lot Of 17 Boxes Of Slot Car Accessories Nmib Lot#a281960's Aurora Corvette Hard Top 1547 Slot Car In Box Lot #q Rare Color!Hi-bank Raceway By Revell~cars And ControllersTyco Aurora Ho Slot Car Tjet Afx Box Case Jam Packed Cars Bodies Parts~ Blue Afx Super G-plus Essex Tissot - Super Nice!!! ~1/32 Resin Bodied March 721x. F1 Slot Car,*unique*mulsanne Models.1/32 Resin Bodied Lotus 24 Slot Car,*unique*mulsanne Models.1/32 Mmk Cunningham C4 R K Coupe Lemans 1952 Limited Edition Mint And Nib!!!Tonyp Retro Can-am ChassisIntegy Indi Dyno V2 Motor Dyno Pan Car Slot CarsPioneer Slot Car J-code Special Chevy Camaro Red X-ray Test Shot MoldingFly Martini Porsche 917lh & 917k 'psychedalic' - Le Mans '70 - Ultra Rare !! Pioneer Slot Car Special Custom Edition Mid Chase Bullitt Mustang Steve McqueenAurora 1060s Ho Scale Slot Car Looks Like Ford Fairlane With Accessory's 1/24 Scale Drag Slot CarTonyp 3 Rail Retro King Track ChassisAurora Tjet (new) 9 Tooth Fray Car With Custom Gogo New Peugeot BodyAurora Tjet (new) 9 Tooth Fray Car With Custom Zoomin Scion Tc BodyRevell Genie-ford Slotcar, Mpc,cox,russkit,monogram,classic,testorVintage 1/24 Scale Monogram Indy Lotus Ford Type 38 Slot Car Tiger ChassisAurora Afx Display Case,never Used,just Opened,very Nice ConditionVintage 1966 Rod & Custom Gp RecreationDyna Brute ==== " Z 28 Camaro In Box " ==== Rare Ho Cobramite Riggen Dynabrute Carrera 1/24 Chevy Corvette C6r Belcar Mib Rare Early Car HtfFly 1/32 Scale Slot Cars -- Lot Of 4 Ferrari Cars -- Mint In BoxTomy Afx Super G Plus Toyota Taka-q #37 Ex-005 P-13 Rare JapanAurora Afx Item #1776 Bre-datsun 510 Trans-am (test Shot Rare Color)Difalco Genesis Lghtwght Band Controller Blue Parma GripThird Eye Renegade 2 Slot Car Controller!Aurora Vibrator Set With 5 CarsAurora Model Motoring(15) T-jets,galaxie,fairlane,4 Olds,falcon,sw Corvette Lot1/24 4" Koford Open Group Wing Slotcar With Extra 27 Motor James Bond 007 Le Mans Road Race Set Gilbert 1965 Aston Martin Mustang 1960's Aurora Automatic 4 Way Traffic Light 1466 Boxed Accessory Lot#a33Vintage Cox 1/32 Scale Cheetah Slot Car Body Kit New In Original Blister Pack!