This Car’s No Babe in Achieving Sales

The top-selling car in America isn’t made by Honda or any of the Big Three.

Little Tikes Co. sold 500,000 plastic Cozy Coupes last year--albeit to a limited market of 2- to 5-year-olds.

Honda sold only 399,000 Accords and Ford only 299,000 of the Taurus.

Little Tikes says it expects to outsell the Accord and Taurus again this year. Here’s what the company is hoping the smart buyer finds attractive in the Cozy Coupe:

* A red body and yellow roof.

* A door that swings open and shut.

* A horn (always a popular item).

* A clicking key.

* A storage compartment behind the seat.

* A price tag of $40 to $60.

“The car business is so competitive that the Cozy Coupe has gotten the jump on us,” said Ross Roberts, a Ford Motor Co. vice president.

The reasons for the 34-inch-high Cozy Coupe’s popularity can be found in the comments of those who test-drive it.

“I like it because it has a top and you can take it out in the rain,” said 4-year-old Michael Kelley of Kent, one of the children at a day-care center the company runs for employees in this Ohio community near Cleveland.

Four-year-old Patrick Tenney of Cuyahoga Falls said the engine, powered by his two feet on the floor, makes it go faster than a race car. Three-year-old Angela Porello of Bedford likes the horn.

Jim Mariol, who designed the car, said the Cozy Coupe was revolutionary when introduced in 1979 because it had a roof and a door that could be opened.

Despite its success, the Cozy Coupe is facing a competitor that threatens many adult-size cars--the minivan.

Little Tikes this year introduced a minivan that offers options such as a cordless car phone, simulated wood panels and a sunroof.