Interesting in particular in the last paragraph, p. 290, about the commercial non-viability of raceways. I fear for RaceWars in Milton Keynes, given the Covid 19 shutdown.

 

I know that quite a few people blamed the Americans for killing our hobby! Things got too expensive and it meant that only those that could afford it could win. Always true to an extent of course. I never visited a commercial track as club level was where I was happiest.

If it hadn't been for Howard, I would never have been able to afford to use the Mura motors that were needed to be at the front in my area. It's still hard to believe how quickly the hobby grew and then died again as a mass market thing.

 

I've had that article since I bought that copy of Model Cars at the time, but this is the first time that I've actually read it..... only a couple of things caught my attention. First, the use of the cigarette used as a prop in the main photo, that wouldn't be acceptable these days; and then that the comment piece was largely based on comments from an informed, but anonymous, entrepreneur, which is still very much in vogue. Any ideas who that may have been?

 

John,

I would guess that it was Alban Adams, founder of MRRC. He had visited the States about this time, and did a major interview concerning his impressions in one of the US magazines; since he had pretty big export sales, I would guess he went other times too. Plus, he would be more interested in the commercial racing scene than other candidates, such as a Lines Bros or Scalex or Airfix exec.

Don

 

In the photo, Carreras was a tobacco company and Guards one of their brands sponsoring the event, hence The Guards Trophy, parallelling their sponsorship of full-size racing. Looks like the winner is also going away with 400 cigs as well as the trophy. How times change.

 

So, Alban Adams, did a survey in the USA and on return to the UK, he sold out to Airfix. A shrewd businessman.

Leo

 

We're still not sure of the actual dates Leo, some sources say 62 or 63, but what I've seen seems more like late 64 or early 65 - there's a thread on here somewhere trying to get to the bottom of it. But seems he was indeed a shrewd businessman...

Thanks for that info Rob - I thought it was a little early for the German company Carrera to be sponsoring anything, and didn't know about the tobacco guys.

Don

 

So, Alban Adams, did a survey in the USA and on return to the UK, he sold out to Airfix. A shrewd businessman.

Leo

He was a lovely man as well, my great Uncle but not much older than my Dad.