STOP PRESS - the 60th Anniversary Collection and a British icon!
We’re rounding the bend and heading for the home straight with the Scalextric 60th Anniversary Collection. With last month’s announcement taking us well over halfway, the announcement today brings us in sight of the finish line.
Whilst it’s been great officially revealing each 60th Anniversary car, it's a shame to think we’ll soon be coming towards the end of this incredibly popular Collection. However, we shouldn’t be too disheartened as there’s still the matter of this reveal and the 1950s car which you can expect next month too – so let’s get positive and enjoy it while it lasts (and at the end of the day, we’ll soon be able to admire the whole Collection in its entirety!).
However, just before we get to the announcement itself, you’ll notice over on the 60th Anniversary Collection page that both this car and the two either side of it in the Collection have sold out. This means you won’t be able to get these cars from the Scalextric website any longer, but they should still be available out there in the marketplace. Check with your local Scalextric retailer to see if you can hunt one down.
Speaking of which, you may also notice that one or two of the other 60th Anniversary cars have crept back into stock on the website. If you haven’t got these in your Collection yet, don’t hesitate as stock is extremely limited. It’s rare to get a second chance with such popular models so make the most of it while you can!
The 1960s car itself is probably another member of the Collection that we’re sure many knowledgeable collectors have already guessed, but we can now officially confirm the car here in Test Track…
The Scalextric 60th Anniversary Collection – 1960s
We can exclusively reveal that the car representing Scalextric for the 1960s is the Jaguar E-Type.
It’s unlikely this will come as a huge shock to almost anybody that read the pre-launch description listed against the 1960s car, as it isn’t like Enzo Ferrari called many cars the “most beautiful car ever made”. However, this icon of British motoring can now take its place in the 60th Anniversary Collection, representing a popular decade and one that both petrol heads, as well as many others, look back on fondly.
Regular Test Track readers will remember that the new tooling for the Jaguar E-Type was revealed in the blog all the way back in October last year. It was a huge announcement and one that went down an absolute treat with collectors, especially as the Union Jack E-Type (C3878) was announced along with the tooling, showcasing some fabulous artwork.
Unlike the Union Jack E-Type, the 60th Anniversary E-Type is the hardtop racing version of the E-Type, one that shone in the 1960s and beyond. First making its appearance with Scalextric in 1968 in 1:24 scale, the E-Type could be found in a set proudly proclaiming it a ‘Super Powered Model Racing Car’. The C34 Jaguar E-Type then appeared in 1971 and again in 1972.
After 1972, the E-Type can’t be found again through the rest of the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Quite how a car like the Jaguar E-Type didn’t make it into range will stump many (including us!) but we here at modern day Scalextric appreciate tough decisions often must be made with the range.
Of course, Jaguar was well represented with the XJ8, XJR9 and XJ220 all featuring heavily over these decades. But with an accurate, 1:32 scale Jaguar E-Type now included in the range it can take its place alongside all the other legendary cars in the 60th Anniversary Collection (and elsewhere).
If you haven’t read the Test Track from October last year it’s definitely worth a look. The Development team made use of both a research trip to the specialists Eagle E-Types and LIDAR to ensure the model is as correct as possible. With the first new tooling E-Types due towards the end of the year, we’re particularly looking forward to the 60th Anniversary version as it will be the first we’ve seen of the production version (currently due in October).
The Jaguar E-Type is quite possibly the most iconic car in the Collection and one that has appeal far beyond the motor sport fans who rightfully cherish it. It was perhaps no wonder that the 1960s car was the first to sell out on pre-order, way before it was due to be revealed, as more and more collectors realised what the car would be.
The Jaguar E-Type was a fantastic mix of style, high performance and affordability for the motoring world when it was first produced. The sheer power of the car (0-60 in less than seven seconds) was vastly different to what everyone was used to in the early 1960s and being based on the successful Jaguar D-Type, it was perhaps destined for greatness.
Following the concept cars E1A and E2A, the Jaguar E-Type was first produced in 1961 with production continuing right through to 1975. With three distinct series identified by fans during its 14 year run (and some less distinct versions too), the E-Type was produced in its thousands.
The Lightweight version also performed well on the track, with notable drivers Graham Hill, Roy Salvadori and Australian Bob Jane all seeing success with this iconic car. Moreover, the E-Type is still doing well in classic GT racing all over the world.
Underlining its success and the extent to which the E-Type captured the imagination of the nation, the Jaguar E-Type still frequently ranks amongst the top contenders in almost any poll or list for which it qualifies. Synonymous with the swinging 60s, the Jaguar E-Type is the perfect representative for Scalextric and a car that will grace many collections the world over.
There you have it – an iconic British car for an iconic British brand. As always, we hope we’ve made a choice you can agree with and we hope you’ll be adding this 60th Anniversary Jaguar E-Type to your collection.
With just the one announcement left to go, we can’t quite believe it’ll all be over soon, but with the last reveal made it will begin the countdown till we see each car released. We can already picture some of the fantastic images we’ll see of full collections gracing collector’s shelves, or perhaps even all of them taking to the track (if someone is brave enough to take them out their boxes).
Thanks for joining us for another announcement and we’ll see you back here in a couple of weeks when we’ll have our regularly scheduled blog back for your enjoyment. See you then, and until next time,
Happy Racing!
The Test Track Team
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