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Interesting. I wounder if we will see the Revell/ Monogram slot cars again?

As Artie Johnson used to say on Rowan & Martin's Laugh In - "veerry interesting...….."

We'll see where all this goes. If Carrera toys could shed some body weight, we'd have a new performance entrant in the mix; one with a good eye for detail.

Allan

I don't know if this is good news or not.
One tends to think that the family might have had enough and took the opportunity to make some $$ and become advisers.

What will be interesting is the outlook for 'world' cars - ones that might appeal to wider audience than Europe.

This is basically for DaveKennedy - is there a value in remaining in a market for visibility if not for profit? It cost Ford a ton of money to go Ferrari hunting in the 60's but the success they had in racing is a primary reason I own a Mustang and won't buy anything else. Perhaps there is no equivalent for this in the hobby market, but I hope there is. Car culture isn't what it once was, but there still must be some value in being associated with quality and performance.

Visibility in the hobby market doesn't translate into visibility in the mass market. The mass market buyers (by that I mean buyers who purchase products for the big box stores, i don't mean consumers) have NO idea what's going on in the hobby market. I've talked with buyers from all the largest big box stores, trust me when i tell you they have NO interest/idea what's going on outside of the mass market.. none whatsoever.

Dave - thanks for your reply. This makes altogether too much sense to me based on what I see. But if something can't be done to promote car culture how can the market for car based toys be expected to grow or even maintain it's current standing? I'd love to see a slot car set released that featured the cars and likenesses of Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud and runner up Alexander Rossi. But I accept that buyers for major retailers don't see that as adding any value to a product.

Also, do you think this would be any different if there was a major American manufacturer of car toys and hobby stuff? Admittedly, Revell and Carrera don't seem to have an economic reason to feature what matters to folks like me.

A " 2019 Indy Champ Racing Set " by one of the major companies, Scalex or Carrera would be great to all of us. If they're not on the shelves at Walmart it really wouldn't mean much. The right fees to IRL, Rossi, Pagenaud and all the other sponsors would probably cost 10 times more then the total gross sales figures would ever be. It might take 10 years to negotiate the rights. It's a lost cause, just enjoy the benefits of the last 20 years.

I'm sure this is not a great move for Carrera big slots.

I can't imagine that

Carrera First
Carrera Go
Carrera Go+
Digital 143
Evolution
Digital 132
and Digital 124

all survive this buyout. We may be a couple of years before any fallout (or we may be a month!), but I can't see this continuing as is. The purchaser's have to look at that and say 'what the h**l is going on here?!? You make the same car 5 different ways?! Who came up with this?!'

While it has (apparently) worked well enough for Carrera- to any outside businessman it has to appear ridiculous.

Very good post Dave, pretty much on point, I believe.

Almost 99% of the time, a new owner doesn't take control and keep things the same.
Just keep doing the same thing that was a financial failure? No...that's not what happens.

Regardless of what some dealers are reporting their "Rep" is telling them.
Those same "Reps" said the same thing a month ago and I got an earful over my post that Carrera was in trouble.

"They" said...it's all fine and dandy.

And here we are.

I vote to keep the 1/32 Analog and Digital line. Scrap the rest :) Of course I wanted more American iron and to stop rehashing the same tired Euro molds over and over...but...

I hope for the best. It's all I can do. Carrera has always been a fun car and the best plastic track in our hobby. I'm counting on the new regime to continue and improve :)