See all Motoring NewsChristmas might be over, but the Scalextric track that Santa brought shouldn’t be packed up into the loft just yet. Not if David Beattie’s example is anything to go by. He spent his childhood playing with slot cars and he’s taken that hobby and turned it into a serious profession.
Recreating circuits from around the world in fastidious detail Beattie’s tracks are sought after by slot car enthusiasts and promotional companies all around the world. The attention to detail is remarkable, with Beattie’s company, Slot Mods USA, creating the slot car tracks with a computer-controlled router to allow for undulations and tight switchback bends.
The results are extraordinary, with Beattie’s tracks so exacting he even paints the ‘tarmac’ to look worn and incorporates skid marks from the scale car’s tyres. He handcrafts every tree, building, barrier and bridge too. That phenomenal realism doesn’t come cheap though, with even the most basic Beattie track costing in the region of €7,500 - with his largest and most complex priced at anything up to and beyond €60,000.
Not a toy for your average schoolboy then, more for well-heeled enthusiasts wanting to relive their childhood. Us? We rather like the track he created under the shell of a Porsche 917 racing car so we’d better start saving.