[Jimster71]

Are modern 1/32 slot cars bigger than they were in the early 80's?

To clarify that slightly strange sounding question, I have a couple of porsche 911s (the gold and silver ones from the Le Mans 24 set, circa early 80s) and a couple of rover 3500s from the same time. These looks smaller than, say a modern porsche 911 model.

Also, the porsches and the rovers have the same wheel hubs, which look smaller from the much more detailed wheel hubs found on models today.

So, are things bigger now, or is it the anti-mars bar effect? (mars bars looks smaller now, than they used to...)

 

[ProfFate]

Hi

No, it is just that sometimes you buy a car that is advertised as 1/32, but it is not!

Besides the Porsches, there have been Can Am cars in 1/28th labeled 1/32 and so on.

Fate

 

[driver#8]

Cars are, on average, 20 per cent bigger than they were 20 years ago.

Look at how the VW Golf has grown, for starters.

The new Ford Focus has 10% more interior space than the old one, and it's wider than the current Ford Mondeo.

Apparently it's what we are demanding.

 

[goldfish_samurai]

Thats an interesting point. I was showing my uncle one of the Scaley GT40's and one of the Porsche GT3's and he was convinced that the cars were larger than they used to be. I explained that he was getting on a bit now and was clearly quite mad - they have always been 1/32 haven't they?

 

[McLaren]

Look at the Mk1 Golf, now look at the MK5 Golf.

Cars are getting bigger in real life too...

Mclaren

 

[EddScott]

Its actually something to do with the plastic the cars are made out of.

When first produced the cars are indeed 1/32 in scale and made from a flat sheet of plastic forced over the mold of the car being made. As most will know plastic has a "Memory" which means it will try to get back to its original shape over time. The effects are noticed even more by heat mostly due to the green house effect and melting ice caps making the UK more humid.

Unfortunately, Scalextric could never stop the cars from shrinking over a number of years. Having realised this was the case they secretly hoped that over enthusiastic youngersters would race each other until the demise of the cars being used. What they hadn't realised was that some of these cars would survive to this day and possibly reveal this hidden and quite secret fate of all Scalextric cars.

I'll get me coat.

 

[Jimster71]

What a cunning stunt!

 

[moped rider]

Is it April 1st?

Moped

 

[McLaren]

Now you know how we feel...

 

[uksqueezea]

Now THATS FUNNY!!

 

[meshers]

"Cars are, on average, 20 per cent bigger than they were 20 years ago."
in the case of the mini...50% ?

as for mars bars seeming small..they sure eat quicker too

 

[Scott B]

The house I grew up in is smaller now.

The clothes I wore ten years ago are smaller now.

My bank balance is smaller since I got married

Seriously, I think we had smaller hands so toy cars seemed bigger. Well, it's a theory.
I think it

 

[astro]

I bought my first scalextric set on the advice of Hugs. She said 'I had the le-mans set when I was a kid, them 1:32 sized cars are brilliant!

Well after I bought the set and thoroughly enjoyed it, we unearthed hug's childhood set from the attic - it was matchbox powertrack ho scale!

Theory 1 - this set used to be 1:32 as hugs remembes, and the plastic shrank,

or 2 - cars of the past would seem BIGGER than cars of today, not smaller....

you decide.

 

[Fergy]

QUOTE Theory 1 - this set used to be 1:32 as hugs remembes, and the plastic shrank,

or 2 - cars of the past would seem BIGGER than cars of today, not smaller....

or 3 - she grew up and the cars didn't!

I'm going with 3!

 

[Tropi]

Unfortunately, you can't even rely on accurate 1/32 scale now and you certainly couldn't then!
In between times, they have been all over the place. It's a shame - I would like the scale to be consistent,+/- from 2%-3% at worst, so that all '1/32' cars were reasonably comparable. They are generally more scale now than in the early days, but still the odd exception, unfortunately.

 

[Fergy]

Thankfully, 1/32 is not like HO. The same chassis used for every car modeled - an MR2 the same size as a Buick!

Things aren't perfect in 1/32 land, but they are undoubtedly better than ever. Did I mention my 1/32 Eldon set?