Visit the Chicago Auto Show from the Comfort of Your Home

11 February 1999
Visit the Chicago Auto Show from the Comfort of Your Home: Ford Division Web Site Takes you on a 'Live' Tour
    CHICAGO, Feb. 11 -- You can avoid the traffic and the crowds
but still enjoy the excitement of the Chicago Auto Show.  Ford Division's web
site -- fordvehicles.com -- will take you on a live tour from the comfort of
your home.  The web site has a section dedicated to the auto show with links
to four options: Unveilings, Tour the Show, Live and Show Schedule.
    Unveilings:  Users can access information about four new Ford vehicles
unveiled last month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit
-- Focus, Thunderbird, F-150 Crew Cab and Explorer Sport Trac.  You can see a
video of the unveiling and take a video tour of each vehicle.
    Tour the Show:  Users get a 3-D narrated tour of the entire auto show.
You can browse the show from entrance to exit, or click on a group of vehicles
to tour a specific section.
    Live:  View the Ford Division display through the lens of six live
cameras.  Select a camera and click; you control where the camera looks.
Check out individual vehicles or choose from two panoramic views.  Take a
picture with any of the cameras and send an e-mail postcard to a friend.
    Show Schedule:  Users can get information on show dates, hours and
entrance fees.
    "We want to offer all of our customers the opportunity to visit this
exciting auto show," explained Ford Division Marketing Communications Manager
Jan Klug.  "Our Web site provides that opportunity and helps us build new
relationships with future customers."

    If You Go to the Show, Stop by Our Kiosks for More Computer Fun
    If you attend the auto show in person, stop by the Ford Division display
and check out the four kiosks there.  Each kiosk will give users access to
information about Ford Division and its vehicles including:

    *  Ford Heritage:  A timeline of special dates and events throughout the
history of Ford.  This section will feature information about special events
and products in Ford's past, photos, era music and videos.  Users can click on
a specific era or scroll through the time line from beginning to end.
    *  Eye on Ford:  An overview of current Ford Division events, sponsorships
and activities such as Race for the Cure(R), the Ford Downhill Series, the
Windstar Moms, the Mustang Museum and safety and a tribute to the Model T.
    *  Ford Vehicles:  Information on all Ford Division cars and trucks
including detailed specifications, 360-degree walkarounds and the ability to
view your favorite car or truck in any of its available colors.
    *  Ford Matchmaker:  An interactive game that asks users a series of
questions, then identifies the Ford Division vehicle which best suits them.

    "Our virtual auto show is proving a very popular site, based on usage
rates during the auto show in Detroit, where it was launched," Klug said.
"During the course of the 11-day show, we tracked almost 92,000 unique
visitors to fordvehicles.com/autoshow.  They came from 28 countries spanning
the globe and viewed a total of 712,000 live images on our site.  We're
expecting similar results in Chicago."