PR Newswire
LONDON, United Kingdom, February 27
27 February 2026
Castelnau Group plc
(«Castelnau» or the «Group»)
HORNBY AGREES SALE OF SCALEXTRIC
Castelnau Group Ltd («Castelnau» or the «Company»), an investment company
established to invest in public and private companies, is pleased to announce
that Hornby Hobbies Limited («Hornby»), a portfolio company of the Group, has
agreed the sale of 100% of the Scalextric business, including its intellectual
property and associated assets, to Scalextric Motorsports for a total
consideration of £20.0 million. £8.5 million of the total consideration is
payable in cash up front, with the remaining £11.5m deferred and payable out of
free-cash flow. Completion of the sale is conditional upon certain consents,
with completion expected to occur in early March.
Scalextric Motorsports has been established by Mark Brown, President and CEO of
Purbeck Capital Partners, to be the holding company of the Scalextric business
in the future. Mark brings extensive experience in brand growth, capital
allocation and operational execution. As part of the transaction, Mark has
agreed to an ongoing role helping Hornby with its wider strategic
transformation, the end goal of which is to have a series of entrepreneurial,
profitable brands operating sustainably and independently, led autonomously from
the centre.
The sale represents an important milestone in Scalextric’s growth journey and
crystallises value for Hornby. The proceeds of the sale will be used by Hornby
to pay down debt and invest in its other individual brands. Scalextric’s
operations will continue to be supported within Hornby’s existing
infrastructure. Hornby will manage the Scalextric business as agent, ensuring
operational continuity while enabling Scalextric Motorsports to focus on
accelerating the brand’s next phase of growth.
Richard Brown, CEO of Castelnau, commented:
«Scalextric has made significant progress in recent years, and we are truly
excited for its next phase. Mark has an outstanding track record of building
global brands and has a clear and exciting vision for its future. We look
forward to working closely with him going forward on the wider transformation at
Hornby. This transaction is consistent with Castelnau’s strategic intention to
ensure that our businesses are owned and led by the best owners to deliver their
full potential.»
Olly Raeburn, CEO of Hornby Hobbies, commented:
«This is a hugely exciting development for the Scalextric brand, which builds on
encouraging progress over the last couple of years. Mark’s leadership will bring
enormous experience, energy and enthusiasm to the business and we look forward
to supporting the execution of his vision and strategy. We have enjoyed working
with him to get this transaction over the line and are now focused on converting
all of the positive discussions into reality and growth for Scalextric.»
On behalf of Scalextric Motorsports, Mark Brown commented:
«We are both honoured and thrilled to be acquiring such an iconic British
motorsport brand, which has been bringing family and friends together for motor
racing competition, excitement, and fun at home for nearly 70 years, spanning
four generations. As we look to a long-term future, with Scalextric as a now
family-owned company, we are energised by the opportunity to continue bringing
competitive racing fun to families, while expanding into new areas of motorsport
and helping to build physical and hand-eye coordination skills, particularly at
a time when families are trying to balance time spent online versus real world
activities.»
Enquiries
Castelnau Group
Richard Brown
[email protected]
Phoenix Asset Management Limited
+44 (0) 208 600 0100
Gary Channon
Steve Tatters
Gina Bocek
Scalextric Motorsports Ltd
Mark Brown
Hornby Hobbies Limited
01843 233 500
Oliver Raeburn, CEO
Holly Barnett, PR
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
+44 (0) 20 7638 9571
Jos Bieneman
Thomas Dalton
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