Top Slot Cars
So what are the top slot cars? There are two ways to look at this: Vintage slot cars and Modern slot cars.
Vintage cars
For vintage cars, there were two dominant names in the sport: Tyco slot cars and Aurora slot cars. Both have created vintage vehicles that are considered top slot cars by many, though the Aurora AFX cars remain most popular with slot car racing hobbyists.
Modern cars
For modern cars, there are four brands that I would consider to be top slot cars in production today: Ninco, Scalextric, Carrera and Artin. All have their supporters and detractors. Thankfully, all of them offer sets in 1:32 scale which can be interchanged easily.
For the beginner, my recommendation would be a Scalextric slot car set.
Certainly there have been many, many slot car makers over the years, especially in the 60s heyday. Many of these more limited run vehicles are very sought after by collectors.
Homemade
For pure racers, though, a homebuilt car using parts stripped from other cars can be one of the most satisfying ways to create a winning car. Remember, top slot cars don’t have to be bought, they can be made!