GLEN ELLYN, Ill., Nov. 19 -- Racing Champions Ertl plans to release new 2003 NASCAR body styles for the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the Pontiac Grand Prix prior to the running of the 2003 Daytona 500 in February. The Company will produce these new body styles in both 1:64th and 1:24th scales for its Racing Champions brand die-cast vehicle replica series.
"This is the first styling change in years for the NASCAR Monte Carlo and Grand Prix," said Peter Henseler, President of Racing Champions Ertl, "and our new die-cast replicas faithfully reproduce the new body styles. NASCAR has a fan base of an estimated 75 million people in America, so the potential audience for our new releases is huge. We pioneered the production of NASCAR die-cast vehicle collectibles, and our long-standing association with NASCAR is something of which we are very proud. Now, with the introduction of our new NASCAR Monte Carlo and Grand Prix replicas, we continue our 14-year tradition of creating accurate replicas of the cars race fans are watching, at price points that are attractive to both fans and collectors."
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(TM), AMT®, W. Britain®, Press Pass®, and JoyRide Studios(TM). 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.