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ITEM 090: Barbie Ferrari
Found on: 6/29/15
Materials: plastic, paper
Damage/wear: cracked, missing back wheels, hubcaps, and windshield, stains, decals are wearing off / missing 
Provenance: either at 1) Mabamex, Avenida El Refugio 25551, El Florido, 22684 Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, or 2) Montoi* on Libramiento Saltillo - Nuevo Laredo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
*It is possible that this is a new site that has moved from a former site at Libramiento Noreste Kilometro 27, General Escobedo, 66052 Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, since that address is listed in several places and it comes up on Google Maps. However, satellite imagery shows it to be an empty lot characteristic of torn-down buildings, and streetview of the Libramiento Saltillo location shows the name “Montoi” on the building. 
Production details: Mattel, a toy company founded in 1945 in Southern California, initially sold picture frames and dollhouse furniture. It began producing Barbie, its best selling product, in 1959. It has had a manufacturing presence in Mexico since the 1970s, and also has factories in Indonesia, Malaysia, and China. This car was definitely made in Mexico at either of the company’s two plants, probably using injection molding techniques. In the early 2000s both facilities underwent a series of external reviews that had generally favorable findings, except for instances of people working 13 consecutive days without a day of rest. A series of variously informative photos of and in the Montoi plant are available on Foursquare (there are far fewer photos of Mabamex, unless you count a YouTube video of a fight happening at the Pemex gas station across the street). 
This item originally came in a pink and purple box with the Ferrari logo. Mattel continues to sell Barbie beach cruisers and convertibles of no particular make, as well as a Barbie Fiat convertible.
Date or date range: 1986
Still in production: no
Rare: no
Still attainable from: Amazon
Value: $300 for vintage in good condition. There is one of these in the McCord Museum.
Use: This toy was an accessory for a Barbie doll; the TV commercial shows Barbie using it to drive Ken around. Originally it had wheels that would allow a child to roll it around, as well as a movable steering wheel and shifter. It probably would have been used with an ‘80s Barbie such as the 1986 Super Hair Barbie.