The longest running motor sport event in the world is probably the Trials held in the United Kingdom.
They first began in 1901. There are three “classic trials” in the UK including: the Edinburgh Trial, the Exeter Trial and the Lands End Trial.
Unlike most motor sport, trials are about how far you can go rather than how fast you get there. In the early years of the automobile, trials were basically endurance and reliability tests for two wheel drive vehicles. Four wheel drive machines are not included.
The typical trial sets out a road course to complete (as much as 450 miles long) and has several “sections” where man and machine are put to the test. A standard challenge is hill climbing. One of the toughest hills to conquer is Simms Hill on the Exeter Trial.
The objective of a hill climb is to reach the top, of course. But the catch is, you have to do it without a single stop or back slide.
Today I’m running my own trial on 5 different layouts; each made with 1968 Hot Wheels track components. The car that travels the furthest distance on a given course gets 1 point. The second place car gets 2 points. The third gets 3 points. And the last car gathers 4 points. The car with the lowest score after 5 tracks is the winner.
Here are my 4 cars for the trial.
l to r: green ’67 Pontiac Firebird 400, red ’65 Mustang 2+2 Fastback, yellow ’67 Chevelle SS 396 and a black ’71 Plymouth Road Runner.
Here are the 5 tracks.
Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Track 4
Track 5
To see how the cars do on this trial, check out my video on YouTube.
So there you have it. A classic trial with 1968 Hot Wheels track pieces.
It’s still fast. Still fun.
Hot Wheels Race Tracks 68-71 