Revved up with creativity – Chris Watson
The driving force behind Tofu Auto Works in Kaiwaka, owner Chris Watson, discusses his latest winning creation and plans for the future.
Tell us about your background. How did you get started in the industry?
I've always been interested in cars and so knew from an early age that my life was going to revolve around them in some form. I went to school planning on becoming a mechanic, so studied mechanical engineering at university as well as doing a few years in trade in the panel beating and spray painting industry. Eventually I figured out that what I was really passionate about was design and automotive composites. Growing up in New Zealand we always had limited availability when it came to automotive parts, especially exterior parts like aftermarket body panels. A lot of the time the only option was to buy cheap knock-off kits from local companies that steal designs from well-known brands overseas, then charge ridiculous prices for them. This never really sat right with me, so I started my business to fill this void and offer bespoke parts or original designs to kiwis that are 100% designed and made right here, while charging a reasonable price for them to try and keep the barrier for entry as low as possible.
What sets you apart from others in the industry?
Before I started designing cars and body kits I actually had a background in art and graphic design. So my approach to vehicles is much closer to treating them like a canvas rather than most people in the industry who tend to focus on performance aspects. I think it's important to have both sides of the coin rather than everyone just focussing on the same thing.
What does Tofu Auto Works specialise in?
Early on I did a bit of everything but these days I almost exclusively work with composites; making either fibreglass or carbon fibre parts for vehicles or just any strange little project that people have. These days most of my time goes into designing and testing new body kits that I then make moulds of to reproduce and sell around the world. However, when I have time I still like to take odd jobs to break up my larger projects - things like modifying a set of flares, remaking somebody a dashboard out of carbon fibre, or general fibreglass repairs.
What does a typical day look like for you?
One thing I never anticipated when I started my career was the involvement of social media, particularly video platforms like YouTube. A couple of years ago I started filming my work and posting quick, un-narrated videos to try and share the knowledge and grow my business. But in the last two years my channel has gained over 140,000 subscribers and making videos has become a much larger part of my day. A typical day for me generally involves a few hours of computer administration, followed by a full day of work, usually filming the entire process, and then in the evening I spend a further few hours compiling and editing the footage from the day. Because of this I'm left with very little time to work on other projects or jobs and have a waiting list of around a year for a large job; smaller jobs I always try to find the time to fit in on the side when I can.
Tell us about a memorable project you've worked on.
My favourite projects are always my most recent ones or the ones that I'm planning for the future. I think it's important to keep pushing yourself and always work just outside your comfort zone. One of my latest and most well known builds is my cyberpunk themed Mazda Mx5 nicknamed ‘The Chimera’. In essence it’s a movie prop car that I've been building to look like it's set in some dystopian future - a cross between Blade Runner and Mad Max. This design recently won the Hot Wheels Legends global competition, beating entries from all over the world and judged by all sorts of automotive industry leaders. It’s a real honour and my design will now be made as a 1:64th scale Hot Wheels diecast, available to buy at any Warehouse store!
What’s next for Tofu Auto Works and what’s with the name?
The nickname 'Tofu' actually comes from my name Christopher becoming ‘Christofu’ and eventually just Tofu. It started due to my interest in Asian culture, specifically Japanese culture, throughout my life. It’s always been a dream of mine to move to Japan so that’s in the pipeline in the next few years. I have a few collaborations with other builders and designers from overseas and then I intend to buy a workshop in Japan. I’ll be keeping up my social accounts so please follow my journey there!
www.instagram.com/TofuAutoworks | www.youtube.com/@TofuAutoWorks