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This interesting but all too brief article was published in the 11th April 2004 edition of the Spanish daily newspaper El Pais:-
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Free translation, kindly done by David Lahoz Martin, editor of Slotcenter.
FROM "SCALEXTRIC" TO THE SHOWCASE
Rafael Barrios produces approximately 300,000 miniature cars a year, exporting 80% of the production.
Rafael Barrios' passion for cars has led him from the racing circuits, where he used to compete, to "Scalextric" tracks, for which he now produces his own miniature cars at his factory in Ibi (Alicante). He sells his models around the world, where they are proudly displayed by hundreds of thousands of collectors. 300,000 units are sold every year, netting 9,5 million euros in revenue.
Rafael Barrios' modern and brightly lit office is located in a residential area on the outskirts of Madrid. However, if it were not for his desk and chair, one would wonder if it was an automobile club or perhaps a toyshop. Behind him, the trophies he won as a racing driver are displayed, including that of the Spanish National Championship, while the rest of the walls are completely covered by shelves stuffed with scale reproductions of cars and trucks. These are the miniatures that are manufactured by FlyCarModel, the company he founded in 1994 out of his passion for motor sport and which has become recognised worldwide.
Barrios started racing at the age of 16 and since then has never abandoned his passion - cars - that has finally become his business. Modelling was one of his hobbies, so when he wasn't competing he played with his Scalextric, spread throughout the corridors of his house. And he discovered the key to his success; he patented a system that consisted of placing a magnet in a particular part of the chassis that prevented the cars from continuously coming off the track. Together with his partner, who left the company in 2000, and a model of a BMW M3 in his pocket, he went to Ibi (Alicante) looking for someone to produce the car. He contacted numerous companies and eventually started a business, which has grown way beyond his expectations. In 2002 he sold 315,000 units and last year, due mainly to the strength of the euro, sales were 290,000 units.
The small companies, which produced his first orders, have now become a 3.000 square metre factory of his own, with a personnel strength that has grown from initially four to 104 employees.
Barrios places the use of technology and care for quality as the basis for the growth of his company. "We are the only slot car manufacturers who do not produce in China, to be able to control things better," he says, "and we decorate our cars with tampo printing and not with stickers". "China would reduce our costs up to a 50% but we would not be able to attend to our clients expectations". This quality has resulted in his cars - up to seven or eight new models per year - being sold not only as toys, but also considered to be collectors item. "Up to 1,5 million Pesetas have been paid for one of our cars". The average price is around 54 euros.
FlyCarModel has 497 different models in the market and Barrios calculates that almost half of the sales go directly from the store to the collector's shelf. "There are clients who buy two units of the same car, one to play with and the other to collect". There are also companies that order their own versions for commercial reasons. Approximately 25% of sales correspond to these special orders.
Racing Trucks
It takes almost ten months to produce a new car, starting from the initial design, the production of the mould and the tests, until it leaves the factory. And during the life of each model, around 50.000 to 70.000 units can be sold. The company is the only one in the market to produce racing trucks.
Barrios does not want to exceed production by much more than 300.000 units per year but does want to increase production of other components, such as spare parts.
Free translation, kindly done by David Lahoz Martin, editor of Slotcenter.
FROM "SCALEXTRIC" TO THE SHOWCASE
Rafael Barrios produces approximately 300,000 miniature cars a year, exporting 80% of the production.
Rafael Barrios' passion for cars has led him from the racing circuits, where he used to compete, to "Scalextric" tracks, for which he now produces his own miniature cars at his factory in Ibi (Alicante). He sells his models around the world, where they are proudly displayed by hundreds of thousands of collectors. 300,000 units are sold every year, netting 9,5 million euros in revenue.
Rafael Barrios' modern and brightly lit office is located in a residential area on the outskirts of Madrid. However, if it were not for his desk and chair, one would wonder if it was an automobile club or perhaps a toyshop. Behind him, the trophies he won as a racing driver are displayed, including that of the Spanish National Championship, while the rest of the walls are completely covered by shelves stuffed with scale reproductions of cars and trucks. These are the miniatures that are manufactured by FlyCarModel, the company he founded in 1994 out of his passion for motor sport and which has become recognised worldwide.
Barrios started racing at the age of 16 and since then has never abandoned his passion - cars - that has finally become his business. Modelling was one of his hobbies, so when he wasn't competing he played with his Scalextric, spread throughout the corridors of his house. And he discovered the key to his success; he patented a system that consisted of placing a magnet in a particular part of the chassis that prevented the cars from continuously coming off the track. Together with his partner, who left the company in 2000, and a model of a BMW M3 in his pocket, he went to Ibi (Alicante) looking for someone to produce the car. He contacted numerous companies and eventually started a business, which has grown way beyond his expectations. In 2002 he sold 315,000 units and last year, due mainly to the strength of the euro, sales were 290,000 units.
The small companies, which produced his first orders, have now become a 3.000 square metre factory of his own, with a personnel strength that has grown from initially four to 104 employees.
Barrios places the use of technology and care for quality as the basis for the growth of his company. "We are the only slot car manufacturers who do not produce in China, to be able to control things better," he says, "and we decorate our cars with tampo printing and not with stickers". "China would reduce our costs up to a 50% but we would not be able to attend to our clients expectations". This quality has resulted in his cars - up to seven or eight new models per year - being sold not only as toys, but also considered to be collectors item. "Up to 1,5 million Pesetas have been paid for one of our cars". The average price is around 54 euros.
FlyCarModel has 497 different models in the market and Barrios calculates that almost half of the sales go directly from the store to the collector's shelf. "There are clients who buy two units of the same car, one to play with and the other to collect". There are also companies that order their own versions for commercial reasons. Approximately 25% of sales correspond to these special orders.
Racing Trucks
It takes almost ten months to produce a new car, starting from the initial design, the production of the mould and the tests, until it leaves the factory. And during the life of each model, around 50.000 to 70.000 units can be sold. The company is the only one in the market to produce racing trucks.
Barrios does not want to exceed production by much more than 300.000 units per year but does want to increase production of other components, such as spare parts.
