Model Racing Car Brand from Macao Thunders onto International Circuit

2021-03-15


        Car racing enthusiasts are fascinated with racing cars for their electrifying speed, roaring engines and dazzling contests, which have also led to the popularity of model racing cars. Beemax Development Company Limited (Beemax), founded in 2014, is a local company specialising in the design and production of model racing cars. It manufactures models of Macao Grand Prix champions’ vehicles, part of which are distributed in Japan and Europe.


Beemax主要生产在东望洋跑道贏过冠军的赛车的模型.JPG

 Beemax mainly produces models of Guia Race winning cars


A dream for men: turning hobby into business

        The co-founders of Beemax, Antonio Ieong and Daniel Liu, are car-racing enthusiasts and possess an in-depth knowledge of races and racing teams around the world. Ieong said that ‘Shizuoka City is also known as “the capital of models” for being the cradle of Japanese miniature models’. The duo were introduced by a Japanese friend to one of the big four manufacturers of Shizuoka City*, Fujimi Mokei Co. Ltd. in 2006 and landed a deal to offer racing-car modelling advice to the company. They earnt positive feedback from their first collaboration and received an invitation to work with another model manufacturer, Aoshima Bunka Kyozai Co. Ltd. The recognition gained in the Japanese model sector boosted the duo’s confidence in model car production that led to the birth of Beemax.


杨慕容和廖智恒是赛车发烧友,于二零一四年成立了Beemax.jpeg

 Daniel Liu (left) and Antonio Ieong (right), car-racing enthusiasts who founded Beemax in 2014


Business start-up as rocky as mountain trails

        It is easy to start a business but difficult to safeguard its success, which is certainly the case with Beemax. Ieong and Liu recalled that it was no smooth process for them to obtain licences from car manufacturers, and that they were often given the cold shoulder: ‘Some of the manufacturers had never even heard of Macao, so they were pretty apprehensive’. It takes six to eight months to design and produce a racing car model. Currently, the company is mainly recreating winning racing cars from the Macao Grand Prix many years ago, and finds it very difficult to obtain data for the 3D-prototype. However, to recreate their dream models, the duo have travelled to Japan and Europe to find woodcraft experts to produce wood model kits as close to the original as possible, and to ensure that exact replicas are crafted for each of the champions. Intricate details and high quality have gradually earnt Beemax a reputation in the international market.


制作一部模型赛车需时约六至八月月,每一步都绝不马虎.jpeg

It takes six to eight months to create a model racing car, with meticulous effort required in every step


看到办和廖智恒对赛车的热爱程度.jpg

The office has an impressive wall of model kits


Thundering onto the international circuit in top gear

        To promote their products more effectively, Beemax participates in the Tokyo-based All Japan Model & Hobby Show and the Shizuoka Hobby Show every year, and has garnered awards from ModellFan magazine in the world-leading Nuremberg Toy Fair in 2018 and 2019. Beemax is currently manufacturing over 10 Macao racing car models; in the future, the company plans to produce more Grand Prix models to give a better glimpse of Macao’s motor sport history, and hopes to expand its business to the United States. By joining the international business visits and matching sessions organised by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, the company hopes to reach more model agents from different countries and regions and explore a broader international market.


Beemax于德国纽伦堡玩具模型展中拿过两次奖项.jpeg

 Two awards were garnered in the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 2018 and 2019


A business opportunity and nostalgic sentiment

        The duo’s feverish passion for racing cars can be seen in the change of their role over the years from model enthusiasts to collectors to manufacturers. The intricately made model racing cars are an object of delight for people of all ages from teenagers to people in their 60s and 70s, which reflects the wide spectrum of their target customers. In Ieong’s and Liu’s view, ‘A model racing car is merely a toy for kids, but collecting them represents a nostalgic sentiment for adults’. Perhaps it is the countless supporters that have allowed the model racing car market to thrive over the years.

 

*Note: The four renowned model manufacturers based in Shizuoka, Japan, namely Fujimi, Tamiya, Aoshima and Hasegawa, are commonly known as the big four manufacturers of Shizuoka City.


Beemax办公室一隅.JPG

A corner of Beemax’s office


杨慕容和廖的前景.jpg

The duo feel optimistic about the prospects of the model racing car industry



Contact Beemax


If you are interested in discussing co-operation with the above-mentioned company, please contact the staff of “Macao Ideas” during office hours.

Tel.: 

Ms Cheang +853 8798 9707

Ms Chong +853 8798 9739

Email: 

fionacheang@ipim.gov.mo 

elizachong@ipim.gov.mo