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2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertibles

Auburn Hills, Feb 13, 2004
Chrysler Group reported Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle (CPOV) sales of 81,553 units in 2003, an increase of 25 percent over 2002 when 65,524 units were sold.
"Chrysler Group's sales momentum in 2003 is further evidence of the overall consumer demand for our manufacturer certified used vehicles in the U.S.," said Ray Fisher, Chrysler Group Vice President - Fleet and Remarketing.

For the second consecutive year, Intellichoice rated DaimlerChrysler's certified program for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge the best domestic non-luxury pre-owned program in America.

Marketed as "Brand Spankin' Used," the Chrysler Group CPOV was launched in March 2002 and quickly broke the industry's launch year sales record for certified pre-owned vehicles, by posting sales of 65,524 units for the year. January 2004 sales of 6,655 units were up 14 percent over December 2003 sales of 5,841 units.

Only Chrysler Group dealers who have earned the Five Star certification process are authorized to sell certified pre-owned vehicles.

The American Heritage of DaimlerChrysler. Visit the NEW Walter P. Chrysler Museum Web Site

Chrysler Group’s “Stand By Your Van” Contest Winner Stands for 64 Hours at Chicago Auto Show. Robert Allan Luckett of Whitewater, Wis. wins a new 2005 Chrysler Town & Country.

Chicago, Feb 09, 2004
Chrysler Group’s “Stand By Your Van” contest came to a gripping end early Sunday morning, Feb. 8, 2004, after more than 64 hours.
The contest’s extraordinary finale left two contestants, Robert Allan Luckett of Whitewater, Wis. and Julio Vidal of Chicago, Ill. in a showdown of mental and physical endurance. In the end, Mr. Luckett was the last man standing after keeping one hand on a new 2005 Chrysler or Dodge minivan longer than any of the other contestants.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the minivan and the introduction of its new 2005 Chrysler and Dodge minivans, Chrysler Group awarded Mr. Luckett, the 2004 “Stand By Your Van” contest winner, with an all-new 2005 Chrysler Town & Country.

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2005 Dodge Magnum Rear Impact Test - Auburn Hills, February 6 - Mark Chernoby, Vice President, Advanced Engineering Technology, shows journalists how the Chrysler Group's 2005 Dodge Magnum withstood a 50 mph rear impact test - -a test that is two years ahead of a federal government requirement, during a safety briefing at Chrysler Group headquarters.

Auburn Hills, Mich., Feb 06, 2004 -The latest vehicles to debut in the 2005 Chrysler Group lineup – the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum -- offer a total safety package of engineering and technological advancements and rear-wheel drive technology designed to protect and perform in every season.

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Auburn Hills, Mich., Feb 04, 2004 - The success of any new truck is measured from its frame up and the all-new Dodge Dakota does not disappoint. Dodge’s credo of "do more, get the job done" was melded with a goal to improve refinement and safety. As a result, the all-new 2005 Dodge Dakota’s frame is designed for improved stiffness, energy management, strength and durability compared to the previous Dakota frame.

"The frame is critical on any truck and the new Dodge Dakota benefits from the hydroforming experience we have gained from the development of two all-new Dodge Ram trucks and the all-new Dodge Durango," said Eric Ridenour, Executive Vice President, Product Development, Chrysler Group. "The new Dodge Dakota is a real truck, with full-size truck capability and with more comfort and refinement than the previous generation Dakota."

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Auburn Hills, Mich., Feb 04, 2004 - The all-new 2005 Dodge Dakota boasts a bigger, beefier and more refined design. The confident, powerful and modern design distinguishes the new Dakota from the smaller compact and mid-size competitors.

"With the new Dodge Dakota, we have created a new design language that instantly identifies the Dakota as a new Dodge pickup," said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President, Chrysler Group Design. "We have refined the pickup styling elements without losing any of the boldness and power that defines the Dodge Ram and new Dodge Durango. Viewed from the side, the Dakota has a more aggressive attitude and a taller bodyside in keeping with current design trends."

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- The Company Recognized for the Sixth Consecutive Year

Auburn Hills, Mich., Feb 06, 2004 -For the sixth consecutive year, Chrysler Group has been named one of the “Top 50 Best Companies for Hispanic working women,” according to Latina Style magazine. The magazine honored Chrysler Group at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. yesterday.

The “Top 50 Companies” is an annual national listing that researches and evaluates more than 600 of the most respected corporations in the U.S. The Latina Style "Top 50" is the only poll evaluating corporate America's responsiveness to the needs and aspirations of the modern Hispanic working woman, as well as the opportunities available to Hispanic women.

"Chrysler Group has the responsibility as an employer to find ways to embrace all aspects of a diverse workforce and incorporate those strengths, talents and educational backgrounds into business success and a fulfilling working environment," said Monica Emerson, Executive Director -- Chrysler Group Corporate Diversity Office.

Chrysler Group’s workforce is comprised of 30 percent minorities. The Company has instituted several programs and initiatives that foster diversity awareness while at the same time embracing all cultures. The Company’s Hispanic Employee Resource Group (and five other Resource Groups) work in tandem with Chrysler Group’s Diversity Office to help create and implement diverse initiatives that embrace the entire employee body.

More importantly, the Company’s diversity initiatives extend beyond the workplace. Last year, Chrysler Group funded the DaimlerChrysler Elected Official Academy Program in California for newly-elected Hispanic leaders. The program will train 150 Hispanic officials on government and legislature and help prepare them to better serve their communities.

Additionally, Chrysler Group partnered with the Hispanic Press Foundation and helped fund the distribution of 10,000 Hispanic free scholarship guides. The directory lists hundreds of avenues for Hispanic students to finance a college education, including scholarships, financial aid, loans and grants.

"Latina Style recognizes Chrysler Group for its efforts to provide Latinas with the opportunities they need to reach their career goals,” said Robert Bard, President and CEO of Latina Style. “All of the companies profiled in the Latina Style 50 have distinguished themselves by promoting corporate practices that are sensitive to Latinas' needs.”

The Latina Style “Top 50” list will be distributed to Hispanic professional and civic organizations in the country, major Hispanic conferences, recruitment seminars, national women’s organizations, more than 2,000 colleges and universities, and to all members of Congress, the White House, and the Cabinet.

Companies that participated in the poll were evaluated on issues identified by Latina Style's readers as the most important to them within the workplace. Those areas included: number of Latina executives, mentoring programs, Latinas on board of directors, educational opportunities, dependent/child care support, benefits, women's issues and Hispanic relations.

Latina Style 50

Auburn Hills, Mich., Feb 04, 2004 - Bigger, bolder and tougher, the all-new 2005 Dodge Dakota stands alone as the largest, most powerful and most capable mid-size pickup in the market. With best-in-class torque, horsepower and towing, the 2005 Dodge Dakota delivers full-size pickup styling, feel and power with the only V-8 in the class.

"Dakota defined the mid-size segment with more room, more comfort and more power than the competition," said Eric Ridenour, Executive Vice President, Product Development, Chrysler Group. "The all-new 2005 Dodge Dakota repeats that success and injects some Dodge Ram DNA into the design and feel of the new Dakota. Dodge buyers like the ‘right size’ of the current Dodge Dakota, which is more fuel efficient and maneuverable than a full-size pickup, but can still get the big jobs done. The new Dakota gives them exactly what they want, full-size pickup capability in mid-size package."

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NASCAR driver Brendan Gaughn displays his two-way average speed which earned the Dodge Ram SRT-10 a Guinness Record for World's Fastest Truck at DaimlerChrysler's Chelsea (Mich.) Proving Grounds.


Viper-powered Ram SRT-10 "World's Fastest Production Pickup Truck"

NASCAR's Brendan Gaughan Fastest Man In A Production Dodge Ram

Chelsea, Mich., Feb 02, 2004 -The Dodge Ram SRT-10 unleashed its Viper power today, taking its place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "World's Fastest Production Pickup Truck."

Only recently off the Saltillo, Mexico, assembly line and not modified in any way for additional power or enhanced aerodynamics, the Dodge Ram SRT-10 posted a two-lap, both-directions average speed of 154.587 mph over a "flying kilometer" on the 4.71-mile oval at the DaimlerChrysler Proving Grounds here in Chelsea. The record run by the Dodge Ram SRT-10 was certified by Guinness World Records and the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). The previous record was 147.54 mph, set last July by the Ford SVT F-150 Lightning, before the Dodge Ram SRT-10 went into production.

"When we set out to develop the Dodge Ram SRT-10, our mission was to create the ultimate performance truck," said Dan Knott, Director, Street and Racing Technology. "With 500 horsepower, sports car-like handling, world-class braking and race-inspired design appointments, we know we reached our goal. Setting the Guinness record today simply confirms that, and solidifies the Ram SRT-10 as the ultimate -- and fastest -- performance pickup."

According to Guinness World Records rules, the record speed had to be the average of two one-kilometer runs in opposite directions along the same track, made within an hour of one another. The timing equipment had to be certified as accurate to within 1/1000th of a second, and supplied and operated by a qualified third party. The speed of each run was timed by means of sensors at the start and finish of the measured kilometer, thus giving an average speed over the full distance.

The Dodge Ram SRT-10 is the third Dodge vehicle branded with the Street and Racing Technology label, following the Dodge Viper SRT-10 -- the ultimate American sports car -- and the award-winning 230 horsepower Dodge SRT-4, that has taken the sport compact "tuner" crowd by storm.

Behind the wheel of the Ram SRT-10 in the record-setting run was Brendan Gaughan, a six-time winner in a Dodge Ram in the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS). Gaughan makes his NASCAR Nextel Cup debut later this month at the Daytona 500 in the No. 77 Kodak Dodge.

"I've certainly driven some fast trucks," Gaughan said, "but I've certainly never experienced anything like setting a Guinness world record. I've known for a long time that the Dodge Ram is the ultimate truck for the race track, and this certainly proves the Ram SRT-10 is the ultimate performance truck for the street."

Hein Le Roux, research team member at Guinness World Records traveled from the company's London headquarters to monitor the record run.

"I'm pleased to be here in Chelsea for this record-breaking attempt," Le Roux said. "Guinness World Records is the ultimate compilation of superlatives, and I am proud to officially recognize that Dodge has set a new Guinness World Record."

Le Roux said watching the record-setting speed run was a great way to begin the new year, in which Guinness World Records celebrates 50 years of world records.

"People aren't too surprised when they hear about expensive super cars or race cars setting speed records," he added. "But few people expect a standard production pickup truck, which they can drive straight off the dealer lot, to be capable of this sort of speed. That's what makes this such a great Guinness World Record."

With a Guinness World Record now under its belt, the stock Dodge Ram SRT-10 now heads to Florida, where it will pace the field at the Feb. 13 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 NCTS race at Daytona International Speedway.

Chrysler Group Reduces Minivan Pricing by Average of $3,000 and Makes Stow ’n Go™ Seating and Storage System Standard on Most Extended-Wheelbase Models

Dodge Introduces Lowest Priced Minivan on the Market at $18,995

Chrysler Group Only Manufacturer to Offer Stow ‘n Go – 2nd and 3rd Row Fold-in-Floor Seating and Storage System

15 Percent Better Value than Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey

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