[woodcote]

Next, it was a toss-up between touring cars and TV & Film - with awesome new tooling in both. Let’s do TV first….

   

Scalextric have produced another massive car for their TV & Film range. Lady Penelope’s FAB1 is one of the iconic vehicles of the small screen for those of us who grew up with Gerry Anderson’s fabulous all-action shows...



The pink six-wheeled Rolls Royce still looks futuristic and Scalextric have included both Parker and Lady Penelope, plus a fully-detailed interior, meaning the sidewinder motor is tucked away behind the rear axle. There are no guns or missiles, but this is an exquisite 1:32 scale model - and absolutely huge! Two FAB1s will just about race side-by-side on Scalextric Sport track. Expect lots of Thunderbirds packaging.

A second jaw-dropping new model is the latest Batmobile. Based on a modern muscle car shape - and with a nod to horror-movie cars like Christine - the V8-powered vehicle was driven by Robert Pattinson’s caped crusader in last year’s The Batman movie...



This latest Batmobile has proved a hit with fans - and is likely to return in the two planned sequels and a tie-in television series.

   

For everyone thrilled by last year’s Bluesmobile, there’s a Chicago Police Dodge Monaco to go with it. This has working lights, but no siren. Real Blues Brothers fans will want at least a dozen to replicate those iconic chases!

And then there are three James Bond cars, two from ‘Goldfinger' and another from ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’.

   

The Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - with all the gadgets - has been released before. However, this most iconic film car ever will now be available in the Scalextric catalogue every year as model C4436 in a standard plastic box and with modern 007 packaging. The Scalextric team have decided to make a small number of ‘A-line’ models permanent fixtures in the range, so newcomers to the hobby don’t have to fork out £100+ on eBay for what should be the cornerstone of any collection.

   

A second 'Goldfinger' car is the Mustang convertible driven in the film by the ill-fated character Tilly Masterson...



Ford were desperate to get their yet-to-be-released Mustang into the new Bond film and it was Alan Mann who got the sole pre-production convertible to the Furka Pass in time for shooting the scenes on 11 July 1964. Young rally driver - and future Ralliart boss - Andrew Cowan acted as stunt driver, wearing a wig and trying to hunker down into the car as much as possible. Although model Tania Mallet - who played Tilly Masterson - was quite tall, Cowan was taller. The Mustang was painted in Wimbledon White, although it has yellowed in some older prints of the film.

Scalextric have produced a new female figure for the Mustang - rather than gluing a wig on a big Scotsman.  In addition to Lady Penelope, the team believe these are the first female figures to be tooled for a Scalextric car.

   

Finally, there’s the ‘Wet Nellie’ version of the Lotus Esprit from ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’. Although a slot car rather than a bath-time toy, there’s some new tooling here to make the Esprit look just like the submarine in the film. As with the Goldfinger cars, ‘Wet Nellie’ is packaged in a standard clear plastic case with Bond artwork. Don't worry about those fins - the Esprit is such a small car that the submarine fits perfectly on Sport track...