This article was originally printed in The Car Room Magazine Volume 1, Issue 6 - April 2009

Jeff Glasson is the host of “Saturday Night Nitro”, a Saturday night webcast that features Jeff interviewing some of the car world’s greatest names. In this first of a planned series of interviews for The Car Room, Jeff spoke to Carson Lev, diecast legend, industry personality, multiple Hall Of Fame inductee - and one of the truly nice guys in the hobby. 

JG: Congratulations on your recent induction into the newly formed Die-cast Hall of Fame at the (DiecastSpace.com) 2009 Super Convention in Las Vegas . What was that like?

CL: I was blown away. It was an honor just to be in the same room with guys like Larry Wood, Tom Daniel, George Barris, the Roth Boys, Mike Zarnock, Bruce Pascal… the experience was great. Shane (Whittenbarger), CJ (Cramer) and all the crew did a great job for their first show.

JG: So, how did you get your start in the die-cast industry? You spent over ten years working at Mattel.

CL: I was always a car guy. I hung out at Kenny Youngblood’s (famous painter/letterer) shop and he taught me how to letter, and Ed Roth taught me how to pinstripe. Most of my friends were the sons and daughters of race car drivers, builders, painters, mechanics, etc. I was always at races of some kind and always drawing cars, and through the years I had kit bashed models, replicating the dragsters and funny cars I’d seen at the drags.

My start in the die-cast industry begin in 1993, when my company, Compression Engineering, started doing development work for Mattel. When I sold my interest in the company, Mattel offered me a job - and I took it!

JG: What die-cast lines did you create, or were you involved with, during your time at Mattel?

CL: I was the Director of Design for the Racing and Collectibles lines, so most everything that was not a dollar car or a kids playset was in my group. I was responsible for 24 NASCAR teams in three scales, 6 Formula 1 Teams in two scales, 4-pack, 2-pack and single 100% Hot Wheels in 1:64 scale, the 1:18 scale collectible vehicles, the Legends series and quite a few premiums and other collectibles.

JG: What prompted you to leave Mattel and start working with Chip Foose? 

CL: I had been good friends with Chip prior to coming to Mattel. I knew him when he was at Boyd’s, and my company, Compression Engineering, actually cut a few custom wheels for him. His business was growing, and we had done some licensing and design programs together for Hot Wheels. I started doing some consulting for him and finally he told me, “I want to design and fabricate… and have you do everything else!”. I had recently started “Redphin”, my automotive licensing and marketing business, so I jumped at the chance to join him. It is great working with your best friend, especially when it is a guy with the qualities of Chip. He is truly a great guy.

JG: How did the Full Throttle line of die-cast come about?

CL: Chip and I knew we wanted to do a full line of Foose die-cast, not just a couple of cars every year. Eric Tscherne had just left Hot Wheels, and had gone to RC2, the parent company of Johnny Lightning. We were taking offers from three or four die-cast groups, but the offer from RC2 was for a full line of Foose die-cast cars, in two scales, with 38 cars at the launch. From there on it was an easy decision. And they helped by providing seed money to build the full scale “Hemisfear” car Chip had designed at Art Center, in exchange for our naming the car the “JL ‘Full Throttle’ Hemisfear” and touring it at cars shows in their name. Getting to work with Eric again was really cool. I love his passion and respect his talent.

JG: The Full Throttle line seemed to have a wide fan base, from die-cast collectors to fans of Chip’s “Overhaulin’ “ TV show. Why did it suddenly disappear?

CL: As I mentioned, it started big. About 27 1:64-ish scale and 11 1:18 scale - and that was just the launch series. About thirty percent of the line was Overhaulin’ cars. Unfortunately, the cost of plastic and die-cast materials went up, (the big department stores) stopped selling large scale collectibles, the lead-based paint recall happened, and RC2 had a product recall with their Thomas the Train line - all within about a six month period. RC2 reformed, and renamed their company “Learning Curves”, going after the infant pre-school market. They halted all new die-cast tooling, and sold off the inventory.

JG: Is there a chance that Full Throttle will ever be reborn?

CL: Funny you should ask. We are currently in discussions to acquire the tooling, which includes a number of cars that have been never seen before. We will probably run them in small quantities under the FOOSE label.

JG: Having had a long career in the industry, you must have accumulated quite a collection. Do you consider yourself a die-cast collector?

CL: I probably have between 7500-8000 on display in my office and bonus room, and another 3000 in storage… so you could say I am a collector.

JG: What are some of the unique pieces in your collection?

CL: I collect most all the products I and my group worked on. I also have about 300 redlines, probably 200 or so prototypes, and a lot of drag racing pieces, because of my passion for it.

I collect Hot Wheels, Action, Precision, CMT, GMP, Danbury, Franklin, Schuco, and others. My favorite pieces are (in order) the Chip Foose GrandMaster prototype (one of six approval models made); an Ed “Big Daddy” Roth four car prototype set, one of only three signed by “Big Daddy” just weeks before he passed away; a 1:18 Beatnik Bandit Prototype signed by Trixie, Ed’s widow; and the only eight 100% Hot Wheels 1:64 scale Camaro Pro Stock cars made in red, by error, in Malaysia, with the graphics from the car we did for my son’s 21st birthday (Aaron’s Automotive). I own a lot of obscure pieces; each has its own story.

JG: What accomplishments you are most proud of - so far?

CL: I think first of the great friendships I have been able to make through the years; Chip Foose, Snake, Mongoose, Youngblood, Roth, Bruce Meyer, Wally Parks, Larry Wood, Leno, “King” Richard Petty, John and Ashley Force, Stacey David, Kenny Bernstein - and my three late, great drag racing pals, Darrell Russell, Eric Medlen and Scott Kalitta.

If I were to look at accomplishments, I would have to say finishing the “Twin Mill”, driving it on the streets of Vegas, and then down the Vegas Drag Strip was cool; it does great burnouts. Building the Deora II with my best friend Chip and then driving it to the Hot Wheels Hall of Fame Ceremony with Jay Leno was definitely cool. Also being giving the opportunity to fulfill a dream and pilot an NHRA Top Fuel Dragster. That was the thrill of my life.  - CRM

Listen to archived recording of Jeff’s original Saturday Nitro interview with Carson over on DiecastAUDIO.com

Comments   (0)