Chrysler Group Minivan Reaches Milestone

Nov. 15, 2003 Walter P. Chrysler Museum Extravaganza Celebrates 'Magic Wagon's' 20th Anniversary

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 6 -- Chrysler Group is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the "Magic Wagon" -- the very first minivan -- with family activities, sports clinics, contests, prizes, and a chance to win a new 2004 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan, which will be presented to the lucky winner by Chrysler Group President and CEO, Dieter Zetsche. The "MINIVAN-iversary" celebration is slated from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich. Admission is free.

Twenty years and 10 million minivan sales ago, the "Magic Wagon" was invented -- forever changing family transportation and the automotive landscape of America's highways and driveways. The minivan brought families together, inspired do-it-yourselfers, revolutionized the cup-holder industry, and gave America a family room on wheels.

The Nov. 15 anniversary extravaganza -- open to everyone -- is Chrysler Group's thanks to consumers for making its "Magic Wagon" the world's best- selling minivan for the past 20 years. The indoor/outdoor celebration, featuring a noon - 2 p.m. appearance by Jim Harper of Magic 105.1FM, will include:

-- A 2004 Platinum Edition Chrysler Town & Country giveaway (2 p.m. ceremony). Chrysler Group is awarding 50 keys for a chance to win a brand new minivan at 2 p.m. on Nov. 15. Contestants may win a key by registering on-site at the Nov. 15 celebration or by listening to Magic 105.1FM through Nov. 15 for three chances each weekday to win a key. The contestant whose key starts the engine during the ceremony wins a minivan. The winner will visit the nearest Detroit area Chrysler Jeep(R) Dealership to custom order a 2004 Platinum Edition Town & Country Minivan. (DaimlerChrysler employees and their immediate families are ineligible to win.)

  -- Sports clinics:
    * 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. -- fish casting activity for kids, courtesy of
      Gander Mountain
    * 10:30 a.m. - noon -- baseball clinic for children with instruction by
      Jason Thompson Baseball, featuring instruction by the former Detroit
      Tiger
    * 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. -- professional video golf swing analysis by
      Mulligan's Golf Center
    * 12:30 - 2 p.m. -- soccer clinic for kids with the pros from Total
      Soccer

-- Friends Certificates (while supplies last): The first 500 adult guests will receive a certificate good for a discount (1% below invoice) on a Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep vehicle. (Jeep(R) is a registered trademark of DaimlerChrysler Corporation.)

-- $1,000 Gander Mountain sweepstakes (all day): Enter a drawing to win a $1,000 shopping spree for sporting goods, camping and fishing equipment and more from the Gander Mountain stores in Flint, Pontiac, Taylor, or Utica.

-- Minivan Memories (all day): Become a part of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum's Minivan Memories exhibit. Bring written accounts and photos of special occasions, important events, vacations and other good times spent with family, friends -- and your minivan -- to attach to a giant minivan silhouette from an early Chrysler Group ad. Photos will be scanned for prominent display.

-- Minivan packing contests (every 45 minutes through 1:15 p.m.; 1:30 p.m. prize announcement): Compete against the clock in loading an array of items into a minivan for prizes. Grand prize is a Shop, Sleep, Shop Again package from Great Lakes Crossing.

-- A cake cutting ceremony (1:45 p.m.): Celebrate the minivan's milestone with a slice from a giant cake created by Home Bakery.

-- Prize wheel (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.): Spin a minivan anniversary prize wheel -- one for adults and one for children -- for prizes.

-- "Metal You Can Pedal: Small Cars for Future Motorists" (all day): The Walter P. Chrysler Museum will open a special exhibition of 40 children's pedal cars dating back to 1925 including several Chrysler models, specialty vehicles and designs representing other auto manufacturers. The pedal cars, displayed through Jan. 11, 2004, are from the private collections of Charles Winekoff and his son-in-law Greg Gladki of Westland, Mich.

-- A minivan ice sculpture (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.): Watch a frozen masterpiece take shape by Frozen Images.

-- A balloon-stuffed minivan (1:30 p.m. prize announcement): Guess the number of balloons piled into a minivan and win fun passes from Oakland County Parks.

-- Safety seat education (all day): Learn the proper way to secure little ones for the road.

-- Children's art station (all day): Young artists can explore their creativity with coloring books, stencils, crayons, markers and other arts materials.

  -- Magicians, clowns and face painters (all day).
  -- Slot car races (all day).

-- Chalk art (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.): Watch an artist from College for Creative Studies create a giant minivan lifestyle mural.

-- Minivan comparisons (all day): See how far the minivan has come by comparing the options on a 2004 model with the very first "Magic Wagon" introduced in 1984.

-- Video scrapbook (all day): Take a trip down memory lane with 20 years of Chrysler Group minivan commercials in the museum's theater.

Visit www.chryslerheritage.com for complete minivan giveaway and event details.

The Walter P. Chrysler Museum is located at Featherstone and Squirrel Roads on DaimlerChrysler's Auburn Hills Complex. From I-75, take exit 78 (Chrysler Drive) and follow the museum signs.

Jeep(R) is a registered trademark of DaimlerChrysler Corporation.