ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, March 26, 1997              TAG: 9703260046
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: B-6  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: NEW YORK
SOURCE: RACHEL BECK ASSOCIATED PRESS

TYKES WANT THEIR OWN WHEELS FOR CRUISING THE NEIGHBORHOOD

But parents who shop for the "ultimate toy" might suffer from sticker shock.

All Kevin Smith wants for his birthday is a new car - too bad the freckle-faced redhead is only turning 6 this summer.

These days, grown-ups aren't the only ones yearning for a set of hot wheels. Pint-size cars, sporty and loaded with features, are the rage among young ones.

``We are a car culture, and little kids love cars,'' said Chris Byrne, editor of the New York-based toy trade publication Market Focus: Toys. ``All they want to do is imitate mom and dad.''

Mini-cars aren't a new fad in the toy industry. Since cars infiltrated American life, children have wanted their own wheels to cruise around their driveways and sidewalks.

But manufacturers in recent years have updated these oversized playthings, making them into fancy roadsters - with price tags to match.

And sales have been climbing. Last year, sales of all ride-on kiddie cars were $331 million, up 5 percent from $316 million in 1995.

``It's the ultimate toy,'' said Chuck Scothon, director of marketing for Fisher Price's power wheels division.

In the little-car world, Mercedes Benz's 500 SL convertible is the top of the line. For $6,200, you can send your young one around the neighborhood in style. Less pricey is Fisher Price's Jeep Enforcer, a $299 moving vehicle equipped with working lights, sirens and PA system.

Little Tikes is the market leader with its Cozy Coupe Car, with more than 5 million cars sold in its 18 years on the road. The Hudson, Ohio-based company just came out with a new $90 two-seat sports utility model, complete with two working doors, a built-in footrest, drink holder and rear storage area.

LENGTH: Short :   46 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  ASSOCIATED PRESS. Victoria Klemann, 5, and Mathew Sneck,
          7, show off Fisher Price's Power Wheels Barbie Sunjammer and Jeep 
          Enforcer in Aurora, N.Y. color.