Epress.am News from Armenia
Elliot Handler, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company, died of heart failure on Thursday in his home in Los Angeles at the age of 95, his family announced, United Press International reports.
Handler’s daughter, Barbara Segal, said a funeral would be held Tuesday for her father, who named her after the Barbie doll and is credited with inventing the venerable Hot Wheels.
Handler and wife, Ruth, founded Mattel in Los Angeles in 1945 with their friend Harold “Matt” Matson. The name Mattel was a combination of the names Matt and Elliott, the Los Angeles Times said Sunday.
Handler helped introduce Barbie, helped design the talking doll Chatty Cathy and popularized Hot Wheels toy cars, The New York Times reports.
Ruth Handler drove Mattel’s business decisions while her husband nurtured new toys. When Ruth Handler said that Mattel needed to develop a plastic doll that looked like a mature woman — with a small waist, long legs and a bosom that could put an eye out — her husband and others demurred. She insisted, and named the product after their daughter, Barbie. Later came Ken — named after their son, who died of a brain tumor in 1994.
Years later, Handler became focused on die-cast toy cars. The company recruited designers from auto companies like General Motors, and perfected a manufacturing process for plastic wheels that could spin fast. Since then, more than 10,000 different Hot Wheels models have been manufactured.
“He loved coming up with new cars,” said Sid Handler, his brother. “He loved the design part, and Ruth loved the business. It worked pretty well. He was a quiet, kind man. I think that’s why he liked toys so much. They make people happy.”
After retiring from Mattel, Handler devoted himself to painting, particularly in the photorealistic genre. His wife died in 2002. Handler is survived by his daughter, his brother and five grandchildren.