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Matchbox Motorway

Matchbox Motorway was a little like Scalextric but you were able to use your own Matchbox sized toy cars. You slotted the track together, but before putting the final piece in, you had to push two really long springs through the length of the track and join it up to complete a loop - one spring for each lane.

You were provided with small plastic pegs which you taped to the bottom of your toy cars. The pins fitted through the slot in the track and into the spring underneath. You could set it up like a racetrack with both lanes going in the same direction or like a normal road with the lanes going in opposite directions. The spring was pulled round the track by a cog in one part of the track and this dragged the cars along. It was controlled with hand controllers, just like with Scalextric. It provided me with hours and hours of fun.


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Do You Remember Matchbox Motorway?

Do You Remember Matchbox Motorway?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    My father brought me one for xmas back about 1971-72 when i was about 9 year old then he brought me another one just after xmas we spent late nights together just racing and now im 51 years old i still remember the name of the slot car track
    • Anonymous user
      on
      your post was.so.cool, especially the part where your daddy bougtht ANOTHER SETafter xmas! And playing together racing matchbox SLOT CAR STYLE late nights sounded fantastic dude!
    • Anonymous user
      on
      Did the cars go out of the track?
  • Anonymous user
    on
    See Matchbox Motorway M2 on YouTube with cars the same colour as the box artwork. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ztj59V3eAs&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nSq1GX1Z8Q
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Just found one mint and unplayed with. All bits complete and springs still in plastic bags. Cars absolutely mint and uncreased boxes. Receipt for £4.40 and dated April 1971 with pounds shillings and pence breakdown and decimalisation notice on the back. sticky tags and plastic pegs all there! was amazed when I opened it up. Cars are Ford GT40 and Ford Group 6 Superfast. Paid £20!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    “Hours and hours of fun” that’s not my recollection! I was disappointed to say the least. It was slow, sluggish and noisy…it stopped constantly and the plastic pins that you taped to the cars meant that you couldn’t play with them normally without removing the pins….then they would re-stick. I was ripped off!!!!!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Switch-a-Track was the version with a roundabout and "switches" to allow the cars to "switch tracks". It was also battery powered instead ofmains like the normal MM.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I am in the UK and when I had it, it was called Matchbox Motorway.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    This was called "Switch a Track" in the UK.