The Brand Carrera
Red-hot racetrack battles!
Until now, generations of families have experienced fast duels and action-packed drifts together at the Carrera racecourse, and with numerous product innovations and further developments, every Carrera car race will be remembered.
We at Carrera see ourselves as providers of ‘Motorsport at home’, cooperating successfully with the automobile industry and international motor racing teams. So, for us it’s a logical obligation to infuse our products with maximum racing excitement, entertainment and quality. We emphasise the shared experiences of stunning cars, fascinating technology and racing thrills enjoyed by people of many different ages.
Carrera is an exciting form of gaming that requires speedy skills, so if you fly off the track – you’re out of the race.
Carrera cars are subjected to the same laws of physics as full-size racing and sports cars. Centrifugal force must be excellently counteracted with a perfectly-set centre of balance. Downforce is simulated by magnets and the right tyre compound provides maximum grip. Our junior drivers can also look forward to the challenges of loops and other action-stunt elements. Even the youngest drivers speed around the circuits with SuperMario or Lightning Mc Queen.
As a child I was proud to have beaten my father on the Carrera racetrack for the first time. Now I’m a father myself and still enjoy the excitement of racing with the kids. There’s no age limit to the fun of Carrera, and it has been bringing together the generations for several decades.
Thank you for your interest in our brand. The entire Carrera team would like to wish you even more fun and high-speed action with our products.
1920
In 1920 Josef Neuhierl from Fürth in Franconia started manufacturing toys made of tin.
1963
In 1963 Neuhierl’s son Hermann introduced the "Carrera Universal" which was the very first electrically powered Carrera car racing track made to a 1:32 scale. It was immediately a great success. In 1967 the "Carrera 124" was introduced to the market. This was a new system with a larger size of car.
1970s and 1980s
Carrera racing tracks were developed further throughout the 70s and 80s, and many classic and modern cars were added to the range. In 1985 the firm’s huge success was overshadowed by the tragic death of Dr Hermann Neuhierl.
1990s
Following internal restructuring in the late 1990s, the Stadlbauer Group from Salzburg (which had been responsible for distributing Carrera in Austria since the early 1970s) took over the family company in 1999. With its unique combination of tradition with innovative products and use of high-tech, Carrera was set to embark on yet another road to success, with steady growth at home and abroad. The "Carrera 124" line was relaunched as a premium product range Carrera Exclusiv. For beginners and the young, an action track was developed in 2001 called Carrera GO!!!, ready to withstand the toughest demands for quality in a 1:43 scale. The traditional 1:32 vehicle scale, Carrera Evolution, was also further improved and enhanced. But, to top it all, it was the digital racetrack sector that Carrera revolutionised.
With Carrera’s new Digital 132 technology, up to six vehicles can overtake each other at high speeds. A pace car function lets pilots race against a remotely driven car that completes laps at a pre-programmed speed by itself. However, the real value is that all Carrera Digital 132 vehicles can be used on both our digital and analogue racetracks. Carrera Digital 132 is the first system to combine the world of traditional analogue racetracks with the fascinating opportunities of the digital era.
For 40 years, Carrera Exclusiv, the premium product line in a 1:24 scale, has been at the forefront of what the slot car racing scene has to offer, combining in a very unique and special way design, dynamics and a passion for motor sport. Deluxe cars are available with real Xenon headlamps and rear lamps, multiple tuning options and even the possibility of entering new digital worlds – Carrera Exclusiv leaves nothing to be desired and meets the highest requirements of quality and design.
Through a close cooperation with the automotive industry, Carrera today offers attractive and faithful licenses from motorsport. Whether in the field of Formula 1, the world of classic automobiles or the touring car scene - the fine vehicle models in top quality always cause a sensation. These include top licenses such as Ferrari.B, Porsche, Audi, BMW, Bentley and Nintendo, Nascar, which further increase the fun of the Carrera track. No wonder, then, that many young drivers are rediscovering Carrera. On the one hand, they share the joy of the unique brands and models and inspire themselves again and again in the connecting duel for the best places.
Carrera operates far beyond the borders of Germany, indeed all around the world, and their car model policy is designed to satisfy all international tastes. Fans from New Zealand to Cyprus and from Portugal to the United States are equally spellbound by the legend of Carrera. On January 1st 2005 Carrera opened a subsidiary in the United States, Carrera of America Inc., has been operating a distribution company in France since 2006, and also runs subsidiary companies in Poland and Hungary. Today, Carrera is available in more than forty countries around the world and has long become the world’s leading manufacturer for racetracks and accessories. Continuous marketing campaigns, brand management and country-specific marketing concepts all ensure that the success just goes on and on…
Safety and quality have always been of the utmost priority for Carrera which is why Carrera works in close cooperation with the Landesgewerbeanstalt in Nuremberg. The LGA is responsible for the inspection of all products to ensure they meet statutory safety standards. All Carrera products are manufactured in line with the latest applicable EU norms and laws.