Types of slot cars - Overview

Homeset production

In Europe home track racing has been very popular for over 3 decades. Many manufacturers like Fly, Scalextric and Carrera make incredibly detailed slot cars.

• True 1/32 scale

• bodies made of molded hard plastic

• chassis is part of the whole car made of same plastic as body.

• Motors fall in the toy category

• Advantages- attention to appearance unsurpassed by any other slot car

• Disadvantages – technologically simplistic. Slow, hard to drive, spare parts hard to find, must be run on low power, fragile.

It has to be noted that these are the only TRUE 1 32 slot cars that can be bought in stores.

Womp Womp, Thumper

1 32 slot car

• 1/32 quasi scale – much too wide.

• bodies made of clear Lexan, painted inside with lacquer based paint.

• Chassis is simple brass in line design.

• Advantages – inexpensive, easy to repair, runs on most tracks.

• Disadvantage – simple design doesn't handle well, slow motors only. Kids love them, but they look ridiculous unless the wheels get moved under the body.

International 32

• 1/32 quasi scale – wheels too small

• bodies made of clear Lexan, painted inside with lacquer based paint.

• Chassis is 2 part brass anglewinder design.

• Advantages – handles well, can handle any motor, can run on any track..

• Disadvantage – wheels are 35% too small. Scale bodies are hard to find.

Professional 1/32

• 1/32 quasi scale

• bodies made of clear Lexan, painted inside with lacquer based paint.

• Elaborate diamond cut chassis $$$

• highest technology motors

• very fast, requires experienced driver and commercial track.

• Advantages – 2^nd fastest non wing slot car. Driver is very respected. Can be raced on any non-plastic track.

• Disadvantages – very expensive. wheels are 50% too small. Scale bodies are hard to find and never used anyway due to poor rules allowing wedge bodies.