Jeep Invites Consumers to Play in the Mud for a Chance to Win an All-New 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

• Consumers bring new meaning to “mudslinging” during the “Jeep Stick in the Mud” challenge on opening day of the State Fair of Texas

• Consumers who want to play in the mud can register online

• Jeep survey reveals that Texans Jessica Simpson and Matthew McConaughey are the two celebrities Americans would most like to wrestle in the mud

AUBURN HILLS, MI - August 23, 2006: Jeep owners take pride in seeing how dirty they can get their vehicles, sometimes going for days before washing off the evidence of their off-road adventures. The Jeep brand is inviting consumers to prove how muddy they are willing to get to become the owner of an all-new four-door 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited in the “Jeep Stick in the Mud” challenge at the State Fair of Texas on Friday, Sept. 29.

“Jeep Wrangler owners are known to be rugged and adventurous. They embody our brand’s attributes of a go anywhere, do anything lifestyle,” said John Plecha, Director – Jeep Marketing & Global Communications. “It is only fitting that we create an event like the ‘Jeep Stick in the Mud’ challenge to give consumers a chance to personify the Wrangler by getting muddy themselves.”

Celebrating the launch of the newest Jeep vehicle not afraid of getting dirty, the “Jeep Stick in the Mud” challenge will literally bring the “stick-in-the-mud” phrase to life as consumers wade through a giant pool of mud looking for hidden sticks, earning points as they go.

Keeping with the theme of the first-ever four-door Jeep Wrangler (the 4X4X4 Wrangler), the contest will be based on multiples of four with three rounds of competition – qualifying, semi-final and final. Qualifying rounds will include eight rounds of eight to 15 contestants. The semi-final round will see 16 contestants competing in four rounds of four contestants. And the final round will be one round of four contestants.

Individuals interested in playing in the mud can register for a chance to participate in the “Jeep Stick in the Mud” challenge online at www.JeepStickInTheMudChallenge.com, beginning Aug. 22 at 12:01 a.m. (ET) until Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. (ET). All participants must be 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held to select up to120 people to participate in the contest.

The State Fair of Texas kicks off Friday, Sept. 29 and ends Sunday, Oct. 22. The fair grounds will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (CT) daily.

The Dirt on the “Stick-in-the-Mud” Phrase While everyone has their own opinion on what defines a stick-in-the-mud, the Jeep brand surveyed Americans to hear what they had to say.

Professional Stick-in-the-Mud: According to the survey, 24 percent of Americans think of accountants as the profession most associated with the phrase “stick-in-the-mud” Fun in the Mud: The two celebrities Americans would most like to wrestle in the mud are Texans Jessica Simpson (38 percent of American men) and Matthew McConaughey (44 percent of American women)1 You’re a Stick-in-the-Mud: In the survey, 47 percent of Americans said someone “wanting to leave a sporting event before the end of the game in order to beat the traffic” would be considered a stick-in-the-mud

About the Jeep Brand The Jeep brand's 65-year history of legendary capability has made it synonymous with freedom, adventure, mastery and authenticity. In 2006, the Jeep brand continues to deliver on its promise to provide rugged, versatile, innovative four-wheel drive vehicles with the recently introduced Jeep Wrangler, four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot.

This expansion of the Jeep brand grows its showroom from three to seven sport-utility vehicles following last year's introduction of the Jeep Commander. The other two Jeep vehicles are the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty.

All-new 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Featuring a one-of-a-kind, four-door open-air design, the all-new 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited expands the Jeep experience to new dimensions. With room for five adult passengers — a Wrangler first — the Unlimited offers even more comfort and space, even more versatility, even more open-air options, even more off-road capability, even more on-road refinement, even more power and fuel efficiency, and even more convenience and safety features.

The all-new 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited features a 116-inch wheelbase, achieved by adding 20.6 inches to the standard all-new 2007 Wrangler's 95.4-inch wheelbase. The additional length allows for a larger rear seat that features three seating positions, as well as more hip room, leg room and shoulder room. In addition, Wrangler Unlimited offers nearly triple the rear cargo space.

Ipsos Public Affairs This study of adults, age 18 and older in the United States, was conducted between August 7-9 by Ipsos Public Affairs, a North American based Division of the Ipsos Group, the world’s third largest survey-based public opinion and market research organization. The margin of error for this study is +/- 3.1 percent for 1,002 respondents.

1Ipsos - Percentages are calculated after excluding those who did not provide a response. These are respondents who said “don’t know” or “refused” when asked “Which Texan would you most like to wrestle in the mud with?” A list of choices was read to each respondent.