RACING CHAMPIONS ERTL DOES IT AGAIN, TAKES HOME THREE "BESTS"
IN TOY CARS AND MODELS' 2002 READERS' AWARDS
Glen Ellyn, Ill. (April 3, 2003)-For the fourth straight
year, Racing Champions Ertl (NASDAQ:RACN) has walked off with top
honors in the hotly contested Best 1:18-Scale Manufacturer
category in the 2002 Readers' Awards competition conducted by Toy
Cars & Models magazine (www.toycarsmag.com). Winners are determined
by write-in votes by the publication's readers and were announced
by Merry Dudley, editor of Toy Cars & Model, who presented the
Company with its awards during the 100th annual American International
Toy Fair.
Racing Champions Ertl also scored a victory in the prestigious Best
1:18-Scale Model category with its 1964 Fort Thunderbolt
Precision 100. Issued in celebration of the Ford Motor Company's
centennial, the replica is a die-cast classic. Developed from original
Ford blueprints and assembled from over 180 parts, it features all
the extras: working hinges, working drivetrain, wired engines, fully
trimmed interiors and much, much more.
Voted Best Advanced Model Kit, the company's 1958 Plymouth
Belvedere is designed to give the advanced model-builder a real
challenge, combining top-grade tooling with supercharged authenticity-everything,
in short, that the serious hobbyist is looking for.
According to Peter Henseler, President of Racing Champions Ertl,
"The competition for the Readers' Awards gets stiffer every
year-and that just makes it all the sweeter when we win." He
continued, "The fact that it's the collectors themselves who
vote for these awards is really important to us. It's one thing
for us to believe we're doing everything possible to create the
best product out there, but it's another when our audience tells
us we've succeeded. We're honored to win these awards-and I can
promise that we'll continue to work hard to bring collectors the
exciting products they're looking for."
Racing Champions Ertl (www.rcertl.com) is a leading producer and
marketer of innovative collectibles and toys targeted at adult collectors
and children. The Company's diverse product offerings include: agricultural,
construction and outdoor sports vehicle replicas; automotive, high
performance and racing vehicle replicas; traditional children's
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®,
Learning Curve®, American Muscle™, AMT®, W. Britain®,
Press Pass®, Eden®, Feltkids® and JoyRide Studios™.
The Company supports its brands and enhances the authenticity of
its products by linking them with highly recognized licensed properties
from John Deere, Harley-Davidson, HIT Entertainment, Lamaze, Case,
Polaris, Honda, Caterpillar, Ford, GM, DaimlerChrysler, NASCAR,
NHRA, Texaco, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, DIC Entertainment,
Nintendo, Sega, Electronic Arts and Microsoft. The Company's products
are marketed through multiple channels of distribution, including
chain retailers, specialty and hobby wholesalers and retailers,
OEM dealers, corporate accounts for promotional purposes, and direct
to consumers. The Company sells through more than 20,000 retail
outlets located in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
