Slot Cars

If the first modern toy was the model railroad, then the second were the slot cars. Initially designed and marketed to complement miniature railroad sets, these model racers have come into their own, with a separate following and have attained a cult-status in their own right.

These days, it might seem that slot cars are not as popular as they once were. That may be true, but hobbyists, fans and enthusiasts are a die-hard lot and are a very dedicated bunch of people who treat these toys as a craft and a vocation. And to support them, manufacturers have continued in developing faster vehicles, better tracks, digital controls, better power transmission, and more powerful engines. That sounds a lot like real race engineering, which it is.

Modern concepts of racing developments are included in the design of new slot cars. And design of these miniature models follow the real vehicles faithfully in order to maintain the original's excellent aerodynamics. And if that is not enough, additional design is put into these mini racers to take advantage of the tracks, motors and wheel materials.

This is a serious undertaking for both the hobbyist and the toy manufacturer. For the manufacturer, the research and development put into the mini racers are also used in their toy lines. Additionally, spare parts are also sold separately. These include chassis, body, wheel and motors. These, in turn, allow the owner to customize their racers, not just with their own color schemes but also with different motors, wheels and other spare parts. This may seem trivial to non-enthusiasts, but to hobbyists, this would allow for better performance for a specific type of track. For instance, a simple track would need for a faster racer, while a technical track with lots of turns would need a vehicle which would hug the road more.

Though almost a century old, in some ways this hobby is just beginning to take advantage of what technology can offer.