Bolingbrook, IL (January 6, 2004)-Building upon
the success of the officially-licensed John Deere Ertl line,
RC2 Corporation (NASDAQ: RCRC) announces plans to take farm
and construction play full speed ahead into the future with
the introduction of its John Deere Full Throttle
vehicle line. These unique, die-cast collectibles combine
time-honored "boy" farm and construction vehicle
play patterns with the hot, tuner car craze of the new millennium.
RC2's John Deere Full Throttle will be the only officially-licensed
John Deere farming and construction tuner vehicle line on
the market when the Company introduces its first product
in January 2004.
The initial release of John Deere Full Throttle Vehicles
will include die-cast "Barn Burners," highly-stylized
John Deere Farm Vehicles, and "Earth Shakers,"
sleek, contemporary John Deere Construction Vehicles. All
John Deere Full Throttle products feature low profile
tires, ground effects, chrome stacks, custom wheels, die-cast
bodies and nitrous oxide tanks. Each vehicle will also have
its own unique style number to enhance collectibility.
"The John Deere Full Throttle Vehicles are the
ultimate dream machines for today's young kids," states
Peter Henseler, President of RC2 Corporation. "This
innovative concept successfully fuses the timeless, popular
worlds of big machine equipment with the ultra-hip and cool
tuner market. We are pleased to be working with John Deere
once again on products that will appeal to kids' imaginations
with this exciting new category of toys."
RC2 CORPORATION-FULL THROTTLE JOHN DEERE
Additionally, Curt Stoelting, CEO of RC2 Corporation, comments
that John Deere Full Throttle will add to the success
and growth rate of this classic property that has been a
part of RC2 Corporation's Ertl® brand for nearly 60
years. "Recent trends in the toy industry show that
kids are looking for toys that 'tune' themselves,"
Stoelting says. "We've seen this trend illustrated
first-hand with the success of our top-selling The Fast
and the Furious and 2 Fast 2 Furious die-cast
toys and the increasing popularity of tuner licenses such
as our newly-acquired American Chopper® property.
Combining the concepts of traditional farm and construction
collectibles with the new craze in tuner toys makes this
a win-win innovation for retailers, as well as today's consumers."
About RC2 Corporation
RC2 (www.rc2corp.com) is a leading producer
and marketer of high quality, innovative collectibles and
toys targeted at adult collectors and children, as measured
by sales and brand recognition. 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 and 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.
Forward-looking Statements
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.
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