Rum was considered a bitter drink, and surely not one that found entrance into the best of circles, until Bacardi came along. On February 4, 1862, on the outskirts of Santiago, Cuba, Don Facundo Bacardi y Masso purchased a small tin-roofed distillery.
From that moment on, the standard was set by which all rums would be judged. Bacardi rum was charcoal-mellowed and carefully aged, and soon the reputations of both his dark sipping rums and his new light rums spread rapidly throughout the world.

Not only has the superior quality and smooth rich taste of Bacardi rums remained constant, but so too has the graphic that has appeared on every product carrying the Bacardi name - the Bat. Legend says that Don Facundo's wife first noticed a colony of fruit bats living in the rafters of the newly purchased distillery. An educated woman, she knew that among the native peoples of Cuba the bat was an emblem of good fortune, health and family harmony. She was also a practical woman and knew that in the highly illiterate world of the 19th century, an unforgettable graphic would be more powerful than any advertising slogan. Thus, Bacardi's bat spread through the islands, and by association the bat's qualities of good fortune and success were applied to Bacardi rum.

Today, Bacardi rum is enjoyed in more than 170 countries around the world. The good fortune foretold by the bats has proven true, as has the notion of family unity, for the Bacardi family's love of life and their family history continues to infuse the Bacardi company with an energy and honor that is reflected in its decication to provide the finest rums in the world.

Now, the smooth taste of Bacardi Rum is celebrated in a die-cast replica of a 1926 Ford Model TT truck. Your model is produced by - and available only from - Matchbox Collectible.

(1999)

Scale: 1:41