TMCP Podcast #159 – Jon Chase Maisto Muscle Machines

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FEATURE INTERVIEW

Jon Chase of Maisto with his Chevy II and Muscle Machines Chevy II

In this episode I interviewed Jon Chase, product designer of Maisto Muscle Machines. Jon is “just a regular dude, who likes cars” by his own admission. He is also a very talented artist and behind many designs at Maisto!

Jon grew up first and foremost as an artist and was really not a gear-head from the beginning (as a lot of our guests have been). Instead, his automotive passions were sparked and ignited in one single shot after experiencing some high-speed hijinks in a friends ’65 Chevelle SS….and the smell of the rubber and gas combined with adrenaline had him hooked from there.

After starting his career doing sales for a manufacturing company, Jon eventually moved into the clothing design and fashion world. He later went solo, launching his own line of clothing (DSTROYR.com) and doing freelance work.

A ’69 Charger Muscle Machine in the “raw.”

The decision with his wife to start a family pointed him in the direction of more “steady” work…..and finally Jon’s automotive and artistic bents collided with him finding his dream job designing automotive toys for Maisto, designing Muscle Machines.

He now spends his days making the critical decisions of which car will get the honor of being the next Muscle Machine, and even had the honor of creating a Muscle Machine of his own prized ’67 Nova!

During our discussion we talked about how designs are whittled down and refined, how licenses work back to GM, Ford, Chrysler, etc., how die-cast cars are tooled and made, and also discussed how the collector-toy world works as well (including the incredible world of die-cast toy customizers.

With Christmas right around the corner, Jon mentioned some tips for what to look for when buying Muscle Machines in specific and die cast models in general.He also told us about some very collectible models that may still be on the shelf!

You can reach Jon directly via e-mail: Jon@dstroyr.com.

Thanks for the interview, Jon!

-Robert Kibbe

The MuscleCar Place Network of Awesome Automotive Podcasts

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WIN $750 FROM CPG!

The Prize Segment sponsored by the COMP Performance Group is back, and it’s back BIG!  Entrants can enter to win a HUGE $750 gift certificate that will be awarded quarterly, and there are two ways to enter:

  1. Go to www.themusclecarplace.com/contest and fill out the details there to enter the contest. Be sure to use the links in the contest to share it on Facebook, Twitter, and your own websites. For everyone that joins the contest because of your referral, YOU GET MORE ENTRIES!
  2. Answer the bonus question given out in this podcast show. E-mail your answer to bonus@themusclecarplace.com for an additional 20 points!

The next winner will be chosen on December 15, 2012!

 

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