Producing Scalextric Around The World – UK, China … anywhere else?

The majority of the more mature Scalextric enthusiasts will probably be aware that Scalextric has been produced in the UK and also saw production in Europe. The younger Milleniums are more likely to think that Scalextric has only ever been made in China. But… How many other countries has our favourite Scalextric hobby been made in? Four? Six? Ten? … or more?

Can you list the top ten countries to have manufactured the most SCALEXTRIC product since 1957? Can you score a perfect 10!

OK contestant, write down the names of ten countries, in order of where the most product has been made.

Or, errr.. read this list of you’re not in the mood for party games!

 

ENGLAND – Produced from 1957 to current date. Though the principle manufacturing has been in China since 1999, there are still operations in the UK through third –parties to manufacture Scalextric product as part of strategically spreading business risk.

SPAIN – Produced in the 1960s through to the 1990s. Initially, Lines Bros and Spanish company Exin S.A. joined forces to form Exin-Lines and produce Scalextric, initially supplied from the Calais factory in France until tooling and production supplied the Spanish speaking markets including Mexico. Product was shared in the annual catalogues of the UK, France and Spain.

CHINA – Production transferred from Margate, UK in 1999.

FRANCE – Produced in the 1960s and 70s at the Calais factory.

MEXICO – Spanish made tooling was duplicated in Mexico, mainly in the late 1960s and in to the 1970s, with many colour variations.

NEW ZEALAND – LINES BROS (NZ) manufactured Sets, track and accessories through Reid Rubber in Panmure, Auckland.

AUSTRALIA – In the 1960s Sets, track and accessories and cars/bikes were manufactured by Moldex, Fairfield, Victoria up until 1969 though cars were eventually imported from England and Hong Kong in the latter half of the 1960s.

HONG KONG – 1966 to 1971, cars were made in Hong Kong and supplied to Australia and New Zealand and to the UK for worldwide distribution.

CANADA – In the 1960s, Scalextric was manufactured in Toronto by Lines Bros and in Montreal by Meccano Tri-ang.

RUSSIA – Production of NOVO Sets in the latter half of the 1970s took place in Moscow and St Petersburg with marketing information from the period claiming six locations in the USSR.

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Did any of those country names surprise you?

Well done if you got all ten AND in the correct order! To be honest though, the order is only a estimation as the production figures are never published.

If you answered, or thought that JAPAN – was a tenable answer, well, (sound of buzzer) “Incorrect answer”! Japan is untenable! QUATTROX was designed and manufactured in Japan by Takara, under licence and was not sold and labelled as Scalextric. No assistance came from the UK. The cars were designed in Japan and the Digital Chip was also designed in Japan using the technical information from the Chinese factory used by Scalextric. Therefore, it isn’t a product manufactured by Scalextric. However, Scalextric did purchase stock from Takara and sold it in Scalextric packaging.

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Well, that is the top ten list of Scalextric producing countries … but we haven’t finished yet. There’s more! For bonus points, can you name the additional countries that have also produced Scalextric?

 

ARGENTINA – 1970s decade saw Sets, track and accessories produced with regular Scalextric tooling. However, the cars were sourced from alternative suppliers.

VIETNAM – Production of Sets and cars commence in 2019.

USA – LINES BROS (CANADA) Ltd ordered the production of the Scalextric Autothrust MP55 transformer from a supplier in the USA for the Canadian market.

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WOW! Thirteen countries!!!

For more detailed information about the history and production of all things Scalextric use the enthusiast and collector book “SCALEXTRIC – THE ULTIMATE GUIDE – 8^TH EDITION”.  Available from Pendle Slot racing, Scale Models and Scalextric.com .