Press Release
Mustang Memories
While Ford vehicles have been inspiring toy makers for more than 100 years, only since 1989 recently have toys been officially licensed by the auto manufacturer.
Today, Ford licenses products in five categories: apparel, toys/collectibles, video games, automotive accessories and technical publications. Of those, toys/collectibles and video games represent about 60 percent of the total licensing activity. The Mustang name is so powerful that it is responsible for 26 percent of everything Ford licenses.
The introduction of the Ford Mustang in 1965 was bolstered by the simultaneous introduction of the 1965 Mustang Pedal Car. To entice customers to come see the new Pony car, Ford dealerships offered the Pedal Car at the discounted price of $12.95.
“The original Mustang Pedal Car really illustrates the power of toys, and of the Mustang brand,” said John Nens, Ford's Global Brand Licensing Manager. “A whole generation of kids grew up pedaling a Mustang down the street. Now as adults, many of that generation have a real Mustang in the garage, fulfilling that childhood dream. And now, their kids are playing with their own Mustang models, creating a new generation of Mustang fans.
The licensing of Ford products grew in 2005, as the introduction of the 2005 Mustang increased interest in the brand. For example, Mattel offered four different models of the 2005 Mustang, from the 1:64 to 1:18 scales, and from models faithful to the real car to a limited-edition, modified Mustang that was featured at Mattel’s display at the Specialty Automotive Equipment Manufacturer’s (SEMA) show in Las Vegas .
While today’s generation still plays with model cars on the living room floor, they also have taken playing with cars to the virtual world. As a result, video games are a hot area for licensing. For example, in “Gran Turismo 4,” players can get behind the wheels of Ford Focus and Escort rally cars, a Mustang SVT Cobra R and a GT40; an Aston Martin DB7 Vantage coupe, a V8 Vantage and a Vanquish; and a Jaguar XKR coupe and an XJ220 road car. In “Need for Speed: Most Wanted,” players can select from either a Ford GT or a Mustang GT.
“The Ford GT and Mustang GT are two of the hottest products on the street,” says Ben Poore, Ford Division car marketing manager. "Both are ‘halo’ cars for the company, attracting everyone’s attention with its dynamic looks and bona fide performance.
"At one time the goal for a ‘halo’ car was to be the object of desire in the poster hanging in a kid’s bedroom or a father’s garage, but now the target is to be featured in video games. The starring role of the Ford GT in Gran Turismo and the Mustang GT in “Need for Speed” is fantastic, and it is one of the best results we could have hoped for in terms of delivering on the ‘halo’ car expectation.”
“We teamed up with the “Need for Speed” manufacturer, Electronic Arts, and will have kiosks loaded with the game at the auto shows in Detroit , Chicago and New York ,” said Nens. “This offers show attendees an opportunity to ‘test drive’ the Ford vehicles on the show stand, as well as a free test of Electronic Arts’ game.”
Nens concluded, “The possibilities with licensing are endless. The exciting thing about Ford is that, with more than 100 years of heritage, there is a lot of cool stuff available for us to use.”
Mustang pedal car makes triumphant return
It wasn't long after Henry Ford began mass-producing Model T's at the turn of the 20th century that kids took to sidewalks in miniature pedal cars. The steel-covered toys remained high on children's wish lists until the 1970's when the manufacturer ceased production.
Just as the 1965 Mustang was a runaway hit, so was its counterpart pedal car, selling over 93,000 units in its first year. Four decades later, the pedal car with the Mustang logo is back and demand extends beyond kids, to their parents and grandparents as well, some of whom may have owned an original.
"That Mustang became one of the hottest pedal cars of all time," said Mark Bentley, Ford licensing manager. "At first they were simply toys, but now adults see them as collectables. It's a nostalgia thing."
Created as a promotion, Mustang Pedal Cars sold in Ford dealerships across the United States for a discount price of $12.95. But plastic gained ground over metal as a material for toys in ensuing years. Eventually, the Mustang's initial pedal car manufacturer, AMF, sold the tooling to a Mexican company. In the early 80's that company closed, leaving the original equipment in a warehouse, where it remained untouched for nearly 20 years.
Enter Mark Luzaich in 2004. As the owner of Warehouse 36, a small company in Windsor, Calif., Luzaich started importing and producing pedal cars as collectables. Hearing about the original equipment, he flew to Mexico, bought it, and prepared to produce the original Mustang pedal car once again. Despite modifications for contemporary safety standards, it would be exactly the same with all-steel construction, adjustable rubber pedals, a clear windshield and authentic Mustang markings.
The biggest difference from the original pedal car is the price. While Ford dealerships sold them at discount prices, in stores they retailed for $25. Just as the cost of the Mustang has increased over the last 40 years, so too has the price of the pedal car, which now retails for around $250.
"The nice thing is that they're made out of steel, so when kids outgrow them their parents can save them for the grandkids," said Luzaich.
Luzaich contacted the Ford Licensing Office for permission to market the toy as the original Mustang Pedal Car.
"We were excited when they approached us, it was like finding a piece of history and bringing it back to life," said Bentley. "Like the Mustang itself, the pedal car has always been considered an icon."
But the Mustang wasn't the only icon Luzaich wanted to license. Having learned the ropes of the pedal car business, he wanted to try something that hadn't been seen before. Working with toy designer, Graham Metcalfe, they created a 1932 Ford Roadster pedal car based on the lines of what had become known as the original "Deuce Coupe."
"The '32 Roadster is the quintessential hot rod," said Metcalfe. "We worked very hard to make sure the grill and other markings were just right. We wanted it to be very retro."
Metcalfe says not only are a growing number of pedal cars being sold to car enthusiasts and their kids, there's also a growing market for hot rod shops. Hot rod designers are modifying them to look like miniature versions of their vehicles.
Leslie Kendall, a curator at the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles, says he is not surprised by the rebirth and growing interest in pedal cars
"People are just as nostalgic about pedal cars as they are the real thing because they bring back fond memories," he said. "Besides, they're easier to maintain, don't require oil changes, and they're decorative."
