Product Description

Can there be any car-loving males who weren't absorbed by Scalextric in childhood? In 2007, the world-famous slot car racing game celebrates its 50th anniversary with this delightful official book that will appeal to anyone who has ever enjoyed racing in miniature. A true feast of nostalgia, this beautifully designed hardback is packed with fascinating illustrations that capture every facet of Scalextric over the years - not just the cars, track and accessories but also period artwork as seen on box sets and in catalogues. An ideal gift for grown-up boys, this book will prompt many happy memories.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #117981 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 144 pages

About the Author
Roger Gillham first played Scalextric in 1958 and has been fascinated by it ever since. He is the author of Scalextric: The definitive guide, first published by Haynes in 1981 and now in its sixth edition. He lives in Windsor.

Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Scalextric book
The latest edition of this work brings the story and catalogue of cars made right up to date. Now over 750 colour images and included for the first time dedicated chapters on the superb range of the 1960's Scalex plastic boats and also now Australian and New Zealand Scalextric car and set production. Fascinating also are the numerous illustrations of the set lid designs dating from the late 1950's to date from the UK, France, Spain, Mexico, Canada and Australia/NZ. There are also new features and illustrations from what appeared in Gillham's previous books - a must for anyone interested in Scalextric - an ideal Christmas or birthday present.

It's a Small, But Enduring, World
This book is far from being just the latest update of the Gillham perennial. Instead it is a whole new book looking year by year at the real world and the slot car world.

As the title suggests, each year is considered separately with Scalextric items presented alongside contemporary events. So, 1966 gets a spread on the cars and sets released that year (as it happens, a rather lovely, blue TR4A) and a picture of the England World Cup team, 1982 the Leyland truck with flatbed trailer and the raising of the Mary Rose and so on.

This chronological approach - interspersed with sections on themes such as Police cars and TV cars - makes for a nice reminder of what was really happening when you were preoccupied with smashing your brother's car off the track. It also makes the book easy to dip in and out of.

The imagery is either from Hornby's archive or new for the book which, combined with a fresher page design, makes it a more interesting book to look at than any of the pervious Gillham editions.

While this books shares some similarities, and so attractions, with they myriad of others currently offering reprints of old artwork and comic strips to tap into the baby-boomer nostalgia phase, it also comes right up to date. Therefore it offers older readers the surprise of learning how an old favourite has evolved while the younger Scalextric fan no doubt amazed to see that their "new" toy is older than their parents.

Scalextric - Memories from the past
If you are after a scan in pictures of what you remember/half remember from your childhood about this wonderful Toy with Year by Year highlights progress of the Models then buy, If you are wanting detail and lots of reading material forget it!