RACING CHAMPIONS ERTL TO PRODUCE 100TH ANNIVERSARY
HARLEY-DAVIDSON® COLLECTIBLES
Glen Ellyn, Ill. (February 24, 2003)-This month, coinciding
with the Harley-Davidson semi-annual dealer show and the American
International Toy Fair, Racing Champions Ertl (NASDAQ: RACN) debuted
their new 2003 Harley-Davidson® die-cast collectibles and pre-school
toys. As part of Racing Champions Ertl's Harley-Davidson product
line, the Company announced it will produce special 100th Anniversary
die-cast collectibles.
"Everybody knows Harley-Davidson," said Peter Henseler,
President of Racing Champions Ertl. "The company is a true
American success story, and we're proud to be an official licensee.
We're looking forward to bringing our entire line of Harley-Davidson
products, including the special 100th Anniversary die-cast collectibles,
to market."
This special die-cast collection will include 100th-Anniversary
trademarks on the product and packaging and will be available for
a limited time during 2003. The products will be sold through Harley-Davidson
dealerships, specialty, toy, collector, and hobby stores and non-discount
chain retailers.
About Racing Champions Ertl
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, 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.
Certain statements contained in this release contain "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use
of forward-looking words or phrases such as "anticipate,''
"believe,'' "could,'' "expect,'' "intend,''
"may,'' "planned,'' "potential,'' "should,''
"will'' and "would.'' Such forward-looking statements
are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties.
Such uncertainties and other operational matters are discussed further
in the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. The Company's actual results and future
developments could differ materially from the results or developments
expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. The
Company undertakes no obligation to make any revisions to the forward-looking
statements contained in this release or to update them to reflect
events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release.
