The DOORKICK™ Offers Easy Way to Protect Car Doors

Busy Mom Invents Affordable Auto Accessory to Shield Inside Door Panels

SACRAMENTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Proving that necessity is indeed the mother of invention, a Sacramento woman’s startup company today unveiled The DOORKICK,^TM the first ever protective pad designed to protect interior car doors.

The product is the brainchild of Dionna Mustybrook, who as a busy single mother and student found herself kicking open her car door because her hands were always full of books and diaper bags.  She had just purchased a new Honda Civic and worried about damage caused from repeated kicking.

“I looked everywhere to find something to protect my new car, but there was nothing on the market,” she said. “When I started talking to friends about this problem, everyone noticed that they too had an unconscious habit of kicking their doors open and scuffing the inside panels.”

And so began the story of The DOORKICK,^TM a new automotive accessory now on the market thanks to Mustybrook’s 12-year personal crusade to patent and offer consumers an inexpensive accessory to protect the inside of their cars.

The DOORKICK^TM is made of a soft foam base and a durable, vinyl material that is both attractive and easy to use. It adheres to the lower portion of an interior door panel with a 3M (NYSE: MMM) adhesive that is strong enough to withstand the extreme heat car interiors endure in the hot summer sun; yet it can be easily removed with no residue or damage.

“Most people don’t realize that they kick their doors until you point it out to them,” Mustybrook said.  “They are also shocked to learn it costs on average about $700 to replace an interior door panel.”

The DOORKICK^TM has found a receptive audience among conscientious car owners, automobile enthusiasts, car collectors and people who are leasing their vehicles, she said, noting that the roughly $7 price tag is a small price to pay to help maintain the value of a car.

The DOORKICK^TM is currently available online through the company website www.TheDOORKICK.com.  The cost for two pads is $6.99 plus tax and shipping.

The company’s slogan “Go ahead and kick!” reflects the belief that most people won’t break their unconscious habit of opening doors with their feet.

“This is a pretty ingrained behavior that most people won’t change,” Mustybrook said.  “But with The DOORKICK^TM consumers no longer have to live with unsightly scuffs, scrapes, and dirt on their inner door panels. They can grab their cell phones, keys, iPods, purses, whatever, and kick away without damaging their cars.”

Based in Sacramento, California, The DOORKICK^TM is a family business founded in 2004 by Dionna Mustybrook and her husband, Mark.  The company holds two U.S. Patents that cover virtually any product or material that is placed on the interior of a vehicle door, at the time of manufacture or as aftermarket accessories, to prevent damage to the door when kicked.  The DOORKICK^TM is available online at www.thedoorkick.com and is expected to be for sale later in 2008 through various automotive and retail stores.