Scalextric

Designed by a Mr B Francis in 1952 and manufactured by his company Minimodels, the Scalex clockwork racing cars didn't really take off.

Then, in 1956, Mr Francis saw a demonstration of electic-motored cars on a track and set about adapting the principle for his own cars.

The new system, Scalextric, took off and enjoyed a boom year in 1961 when it was the third best selling toy, just behind Noddy.

By now Minimodels had been sold to Triang, makers of Meccano and Hornby train sets and featured moulded bodies which reproduced racing cars of the day and bits of track which could be joined together to create the famous racing circuits.

Triple World Champion Jim Clark was employed to promote Scalextric and the first World Championship was held in London in 1964.