Corgi ElectroRockets – Nostalgia Central

This short-lived range of rechargeable battery-powered slotless toy cars was introduced by Corgi in 1970 to compete with Mattel’s “Hot Wheels Sizzlers”.

The innovative ElectroRockets line featured specialised vehicles with powerful miniaturised internal motors which were rapidly charged via a blue plastic roadside charging station, powered by D-cell batteries and equipped with a working clockwork timer and plug-in jack.

Unlike the large range of standard 1:64 Corgi Rockets cars, there were only two car castings in the ElectroRockets range: the Alfa Romeo Montreal (#4002) and the less-common Ital Design Bizzarrini Manta (#4000), which were available in distinct, vibrant metallic colours – Gleaming Gold, Metallic Green, Metallic Blue and Metallic Red/Copper for example – to mimic the popular “Spectraflame” trends of the era.

The 1:55 cars were constructed from a lightweight gilded plastic shell with a built-in electric motor connected to large, high-traction rubber rear wheels. The cars raced on Double 8 Raceway track layouts.

Production was halted by late 1971 following a successful patent/copyright lawsuit from Mattel.

A pre-production ElectroRockets “Hoverport Set” – an interactive stunt environment meant to simulate crossing the English Channel by hovercraft – was released in limited numbers but never made it to mass manufacture. The set has become something of a Holy Grail for collectors.