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Scalextric. Can you pronounce it proper?

T

Tumeni Notes

pfm Member
It's Scalextric. Scale - ex - trick


Scalectrix is what I keep hearing from others. Scale - eck - tricks. Not what's written.

Worse still, I've just stumbled across their promotional video for new product in 2023, and even their own product ambassador/presenter can't get it right.

All through the video;

Scalectric. Scale - eck - trick.
 
I didn’t get a scalextric until I swapped a quarter for a massive set with headlights when I was at uni. I remember sitting in the middle of it getting really baked in the dark, holding both controllers and listening to dark magus as the lights went round and round me. It was pretty far out.
 
I've always pronounced it Skayer-lectric and I'm not changing now. Mind you I also pronounce the 'L' in Renault as we were wont to in the 70s.
 
Brilliant, haven’t listened to that in ages, tmorn is gonna be a sleaford mods noisy music day.

My track had a choice of two formula one type cars and two saloon cars with a lap counter and enough track to create two long straights and two complete 360 degree raised corners, kinda like a multi-storey car park and then leading back to the straight. Loved it as a kid in the very early 80’s.
 
I only had two cars, a Vanwall and a BRM. Both spent most of their time flying off the track, and I was forever cleaning the brushes with meths.
 
BTW The name stems from 'ScaleX' that made model/toy cars. Someone figured out putting a electric motor in one and make them go around, stuck to a slot might be fun. IT WAS!

At first speed was controlled by simple on/off switches before the handle with a variable resistor was invented. The one we all remember got so bloody hot!
 
I have loads of ScaleXtric, dating back to the early 1960’s. Most of it I purchased in local 2nd hand sales, some of it purchased by saving up paper-round money.
I have some early ‘pencil’ cars which have pin slots and the front wheels turn into corners. I can’t remember what I have has I haven’t seen it for years (in the loft)
Definitely did have the racing motorbike/sidecar.

Last time I played with it, I made a circuit on our lawn and strapped a digital camera to a car recorded the excitement.
If I had a large spare room I would have it set up. Great fun.
 
Jamie said:
Scalextric was for the rich, posh kids!
I had a Trik Trak (road rally set,
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I had TrikTrak before I started my ScaleXtric fetish. It was fun, but didn’t have the control of ScaleXtric

I also had an orange Matchbox circuit which had a looped spring in the slots which was driven by a motor. It was awfully noisy. The good bit was that you just attached a little stick on pin to any Matchbox car and it would work on the track. Used to have loads of cars on the track at the same time. That noise was grinding though…
 
Big Tabs said:
also had an orange Matchbox circuit which had a looped spring in the slots which was driven by a motor. It was awfully noisy. The good bit was that you just attached a little stick on pin to any Matchbox car and it would work on the track. Used to have loads of cars on the track at the same time. That noise was grinding though…
Click to expand...

we had that - it was fun - the spring was a PITA as were the small hair grip like clips used to join the spring together.
 
Minic for me...the Triang version.
'Twas always pronounced Ska-lectric round these parts tho...
 
gintonic said:
we had that - it was fun - the spring was a PITA as were the small hair grip like clips used to join the spring together.
Click to expand...

My memory is the horrid noise, the rigidity of the track (it was hard inflexible plastic, unlike ScaleXtric) and the lovely bright orange colour.


Like probably everyone at the time, I had the orange plastic Matchbox loop set. This was great fun, and I would make jumps for the cars and have the track start just off vertical.
Happy days

b60849fb497a3da26257a33f97448f34.jpg
 
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