“We have had the ability to do R/C for a while,” says Rick Berman, Director of sales, Marketing and Licensing. “We have been successful with our Infra-Red line, but we have wanted to go full force into R/C. The development and reaction of our Custom Shop brands, specifically Playerz and Pro Rodz, enabled us to utilize their stylings to position ourselves in this category.”
Maisto will launch it’s R/C line with a Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren and a Lamborghini Gallardo, both stylized and packaged within their Playerz brand. Additionally, a 1969 Dodge Charger and a 1967 Ford Mustang GT will be offered under their Pro Rodz banner. All 4 will feature after-market wheels.
While looks and details work for die-cast replicas, more is required for a R-C vehicle to be a success. Maisto achieved this with the development of their Tri-Channel Transmitter, a feature normally seen only in more expensive R/C. The Tri-Channel Transmitter allows Maisto to sell all of it’s R/C using one frequency (49 Mhz in the US, 27 Mhz in Europe), but a switch on both the transmitter and the vehicle allow for up to 3 of their R/C’s to be playing side by side.
Additional features include working low and high beam headlights and working tail lights, a back-lit screen or a light-up engine, and working front and rear suspension. All are packaged race-ready, including a 9.6v battery pack and a re-charger. A 9v battery for the transmitter is also included in the package.
“The last feature we worked on was the most important,” adds Berman. “We waited to announce the release of our R/C until we had real working samples. When we got the samples, we asked for more speed. We wanted a vehicle that moved fast. And that is what we now have.”
The Maisto brand name was registered in 1990 by May Cheong, a vertically integrated manufacturer based in Hong Kong. The company has been manufacturing die cast replicas for over 30 years, have over 11,000 employees worldwide and manufacturing facilities covering over 2,000,000 square feet.