Category:Marklin Sprint slotcar system

Marklin Sprint slotcar system

1969 -

1971: Marklin Sprint overview [image info]

1971: Cars and larger sets [image info]

1973: Marklin Sprint, the high speed car racing track [image info]

1973: catalogue overview [image info]

The Marklin Sprint -scale slot car system was sold between 1967 and the early 1980s.

Märklin Sprint slot car Box artwork

Overview

The Marklin system seems to have been really rather nice, with three different radius curves, allowing up to six lanes of track. The system included straight and curved lane-changer section, banked curves, inclines, and chicanes, and allowed some extravagantly sophisticated layouts. Unfortunately, in waiting to see what other manufacturers did, and then waiting until they had a really good competing system, Märklin kinda missed the boat ... Their system launched in 1967, which was just after the UK slotcar craze had peaked, and retailers were finding themselves with a glut of manufacturers trying to sell to fewer buyers, not a good time to be launching yet another new system.

We're not sure about the timing of the market on mainland Europe, but we're assuming that it was probably broadly similar to what was going on in the UK.

1969 promotional text:

Märklin Sprint For fast and exciting automobile racing in your home

Running the lightning fast slot cars in the MÄRKLIN Sprint sets provides an exciting hobby quite different from our model railroads. Thus both hobbies compliment each other.
1:32 Built in the popular 1:32 scale, minimum is space is required for the MÄRKLIN Sprint raceway. The track is designed to clip together very strongly for complete electrical and mechanical connection, yet goes together and comes apart with ease. No fussing around with track sections that do not fit and are hard to connect. Thus your track will stand even the longest and most hard racing.
Your race track can be built with two, four or six lanes, long straight ways, esses, banked curved, inclines, overpasses, chicanes, lane crossovers and many other exciting accessories including our reliable lap counter. Everything is available to build up almost any racing circuit and, wherever required, to safeguard all your tracks with strong crash barriers.
Every MÄRKLIN racing car is a miniature masterpiece. The high speed motor is located in the best position for correct center of gravity, providing good road holding ability. In addition a special designed gear train is installed so that the car can respond to any small change in voltage. This means short quick braking action before curves and immediate acceleration during the curve. It also gives you superior hill climbing ability and MÄRKLIN incline sections. Because of these many features, MÄRKLIN race cars can attain unbelievably fast lap times.
Another feature typical of the high MÄRKLIN quality is the solid ski type current pickups of the cars. They are sprung and are thus very reliable for current pickup, while at the same time they provide a cleaning action on the pickup rails. The tires of the cars can be changed and adapted to the running characteristics of the track.
The speed controller can be operated without any steps in the speed regulation or it can be set to uniformly increase step by step. Using the built in key the controller can be locked in a given voltage and then released with the panic switch in case of emergency. The hand controller can be connected to the track at any location that is convenient to you.
A host of suggestions for building different exciting raceways are contained in the interesting MÄRKLIN Sprint Handbook. It also contains racing rules for many different types of races, always providing thrilling entertainment in your home for all participants, young and old.