FIRST OUT OF THE STARTING GATE-DIE-CAST THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS
KEY CHAINS FROM RACING CHAMPIONS ERTL
Glen Ellyn, Ill. (February 10, 2003)-Hold onto your hats,
tuner car fans! The latest additions to The Fast and The Furious
product line by Racing Champions Ertl (NASDAQ: RACN) are die-cast
key chain replicas of movie cars from the 2001 movie blockbuster,
along with a key chain featuring the first die-cast replica of a
nitrous bottle.
The cars-1:64-scale replicas of the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Mazda RX-7,
and the Acura Integra tuner cars that appeared in the movie-are
authentic, right down to the graphics on the hoods. Their May release
is timed to coincide with pre-release publicity for the movie sequel,
The Fast and The Furious 2, which is scheduled for June.
Suggested retail price is $2.99.
"These are the first and only die-cast key chains ever authorized
to replicate the tuner cars in The Fast and The Furious, and they're
hot," said Greg Miller, Vice President of Marketing for Racing
Champions Ertl. "That was the first film ever to depict the
super-charged world of street racing, and it started a revolution
in the automotive parts and accessories market. Countless boys,
teens, and young men have customized their cars to enter this high-octane
world-they're passionate fans of the movie, and I'm betting they'll
be first in line when these key chains hit the shelves."
Racing Champions Ertl (www.rcertl.com) is a leading producer and
marketer of innovative collectibles and toys targeted at males of
all ages. The Company's diverse product offerings include scaled
die-cast replicas of John Deere agricultural equipment and NASCAR
stock cars, other licensed vehicle replicas, pre-teen toys, sports
trading cards, racing apparel and souvenirs, and collectible figures.
These products are sold under the Company's market-focused brand
names, including Racing Champions®, Ertl®, Ertl Collectibles®,
American Muscle™, AMT®, W. Britain®, Press Pass®,
and JoyRide Studios™. The Company reinforces its brands and
enhances the authenticity of its products by linking them with highly
recognized licensed properties including NASCAR, NHRA, John Deere,
Harley-Davidson, Case, Polaris, Honda, Acura, Caterpillar, Ford,
GM, Chrysler, Texaco, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Hit Entertainment,
Nintendo, Sega, and Electronic Arts. The Company's products are
marketed through multiple channels of distribution, including mass
retailers and specialty and hobby wholesalers and retailers, OEM
dealers, and to corporate accounts for promotional purposes. The
Company sells through more than 20,000 retail outlets located in
North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
