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Mattel: 'Apprentice' toy car is hired
Toy designed by last week's winning team on NBC's reality show will be marketed by Mattel.
September 14, 2004: 3:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The winning toy from last week's episode of "The Apprentice" not only received a thumbs-up from boss Donald Trump, the remote-control toy car they designed also won the approval of the world's largest toymaker, Mattel Inc., which is actually putting it into production.

The Morph Machines will be available on store shelves in early 2005 for an approximate retail price of $30, Mattel said.  
The Morph Machines will be available on store shelves in early 2005 for an approximate retail price of $30, Mattel said.

Mattel (MAT: Research, Estimates) said it likes the concept so much it plans to team up with Mark Burnett Productions to manufacture the toy under its Tyco R/C brand. Mark Burnett is the mastermind behind several hit reality shows, including "The Apprentice" and "Survivor."

But the toy won't be called the Meta Morphor, the name coined by the winning team on Thursday's episode.

The toy maker said the name Meta Morphor has already been copyrighted. Instead, the car will be manufactured under the trademark Morph Machines. "It will have a sleeker body style and different tires. Only slight changes will be implemented," Mattel spokesperson, Sara Rosales, told CNN/Money.

The toy will allow kids to transform and customize the radio-controlled vehicle by snapping on a different hood with a big engine, or attaching a pickup truck bed on the back, Mattel said.

Kids will be able to control the vehicle, race it, crash it, and then put it back together again, the company said.

Morph Machines will be available on store shelves in early 2005 and will sell for about $30. The logo for "The Apprentice" will appear along with Mattel's on the packaging, Rosales said.

Mattel provided designers to help both teams on the show.  Top of page




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