New Maisto 1970 Chevrolet Corvette 1:24 Special Edition

CORVETTE SUMMER!!!
Bowtie fans here is a new 1:24 Vette dipped in bronze.

Up Close and Personal with Maisto’s new 1:24th Scale 29 Ford Model A!

I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about one of our latest castings, a 1:24th scale 29 Ford Model A. We have two variations, a more subtle custom version and a chopped and dropped hot rod version. Charles and I (CASTRO) worked together to bring you the two different versions. I didn’t work on the graphics this time, but I can’t wait to get my hands on one! What I did do was take Charles’ already awesome more traditional look, and hacked it up stretched it out, and slammed it to the ground. Just how I like ‘em!

Here is the first style that will show up in Maisto’s Special Edition line. She looks purrrdy in Red.

1:24 Scale 29 Ford Model A (Special Edition)

1:24 Scale 29 Ford Model A (Special Edition)

Here she is in yellow, very Hot! Makes you want to take her for a run down the two-lane blacktop!

1:24 Scale 29 Ford Model A (Special Edition)

Here is…get ready for it…the kustom version, graphics by our boy JCUriarte. I like the two-tone color combo.

1:24 Scale 29 Ford Model A (AllStars)

and here, just the way I like ‘em. Flat black with a little red & white pinstriping. Lookin’ pretty bad ass! Yes those are “suicide” doors.

1:24 Scale 29 Ford Model A (AllStars) with Doors Open

She is a BEAST!

1:24 Scale 29 Ford Model A (AllStars) Front View

and looks great from behind!

1:24 Scale 29 Ford Model A (AllStars) Rear View

is that? Holy Moly, yest it is….

1:24 Scale 29 Ford Model A (AllStars) Side View

a Skull Knob shifter…..wowzers. Here’s a little close-up of the guts. Hard to see, but she has some awesome bomber style seats as well. You can bet I will be designing some bitchin’ paint schemes for these, Whitewall Rebels and Outlaws of the world unite!

1:24 Scale 29 Ford Model A (AllStars) Pattern/Skull Shift Knob Detail

Dodge Challenger Hits The Shelves

we report on our products in various stages in this blog. usually you see it in some sort of finished form, as in pre-production, or first production. with the nissan gt-r you get all the stages. and we realized, you don’t get to see it in full production mode too often. our operations manager here, jane (the brain) advises us regularly when we receive new inventory in the warehouse. sometimes we request it brought up to the pd cage, and we allow the designers to slobber over their creations. so why not take a few photos before pd get’s their grimy hands on it? first up is the 1:24 dodge challenger srt-8

this is from our special edition line, but the detail on the engine is great for the price-point

the interior is extremely detailed, right down to the dual cup-holders

the challenger concept in 1:18 was our #1 model in the americas ly – we are thinking the same might be true for this year’s challenger production version.

 

2009 Nissan GT-R: More photos…

Part 3 of our ongoing story of following a new 1:24 scale model from beginning to the store shelf.

The Product Development Request form has been signed by the company president so this is now an official project (we knew it would be so we jumped the gun a bit on getting photos and specs in advance). It has been assigned an SKU (stock keeping unit = the part number) of 18-42016. Brian and his crew at our Hong Kong headquarters located a GT-R there. They took measurements and shot more photos. They will now be further analyzing the information and will be planning the number of parts, determining the various materials to be used and instructing our modelmakers in China to begin sculpting the master model.

2009 Nissan GT-R: And So It Begins…

Part 2 of our ongoing story of following a new 1:24 scale model from beginning to the store shelf.

April 18: I’ve filled out our Product Development Request (PDR) forms for each of the GT-R models that we’ll be making. These forms give the details about the scale, line name, features, etc. as well as business information such as the projected quantity to be made. The forms were signed off by the U.S. people involved and will be hand-carried to our headquarters office in Hong Kong this weekend. There, the forms will be reviewed and additional information such as pricing and the estimated retail availability date will be added. When the details are acceptable, the president of May Cheong will sign it and a copy will be sent to me to file here at the California office. BORING!!! But it’s better than having people not “being on the same page.” We won’t be telling you how much this project will cost us but it’s a lot so we want to be sure that the details are communicated in advance.

I’ve sent the photos and specs to my counterpart Brian at our Hong Kong office who will review them and advise management about the project. He’ll also let me know if he needs additional images. One interesting feature on the car are the panels under the chassis that reduce aerodynamic drag. It’s just as important to keep the air flowing smoothly underneath as it is on top. The photo also shows an enlargement of part of the exhaust system — there are some interesting shapes there that will visually set off the smooth panels surrounding it.

2009 Nissan GT-R: And So It Begins…

As a relatively affordable supercar, the new Nissan GT-R has no equal. With a near cult-like following for the past fifteen years, there is a lot of interest in the latest version. Previous GT-R cars were not sold in North America but the 2009 will be, although in very limited numbers.

Follow along with us as we show you the steps involved in making a new die-cast model. We’ll be making a 1:24 scale GT-R for our Special Edition (showroom stock) and AllStars (modified) lines.

Last year we saw the spy photos on the web and we watched and waited for the official debut at the Tokyo Motor Show. At the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, I shot some photos in anticipation of our making a model. In the first months of this year, we’ve been firming up our 2009 product choices.  r h b has been dealing with the manufacturer’s license agent to work out the business details of getting permission and with getting our company’s management approval. The project was greenlighted a few days ago so now it’s up to the product development department at the Maisto office in Fontana, California to get started.

We’ll be updating the progress on this project so you’ll be able to follow along.

April 9 and 10:  The license agent sent some photos by email and advised that she would be sending paint chips and CDs containing more photos. I received them and have gone through the photos, renaming them and editing out the ones with right-hand steering (ours will have left-hand steering). Nissan won’t be able to provide CAD files so our talented modelmakers will rely on photos to get all the curves and details right. For parts of the car that aren’t shown on the official photos, I’m scouring the internet to find the images that we’ll need.