Glitz and Glamour Sways Prospective Buyers

19 January 2001

                  But Rush to Dealerships May Be a Year Away

    DETROIT, Jan. 18 Today Polk released the sixth in a series
of trend center reports direct from the North American International Auto Show
(NAIAS).  The report highlights consumer opinions captured by Polk during the
first six days the show was open to the public.
    As of today, Polk shows that more than four out of five attendees (83%)
say that the NAIAS has been helpful in deciding which vehicle to purchase.
    "Consumers are telling us that the NAIAS is an important venue to learn
about automobiles and therefore make an informed decision when purchasing a
vehicle," said Lonnie Miller, a performance consultant at Polk.  "From an
informational point of view, over half of the attendees (53%) say the exhibits
do a 'very good' or 'excellent' job of offering useful information," says
Miller.

             Percentage of Consumers Indicating NAIAS is Helpful
                    For Deciding Which Vehicle to Purchase

                   GENDER                            AGE
    TOTAL      Male      Female      Under 35      35 - 54         55+
      83%       84%         85%           83%          87%         90%
    Source: Polk

    While the show is creating strong awareness of each manufacturer's product
line, dealers may not see an immediate rush of showroom traffic.  More than
half (55%) of surveyed consumers said they would not be in the market for a
new car or truck until at least one year from now.  Sometimes known as "ready
buyers" only 14 percent of this week's attendees said they will be in the
market for a new vehicle during the next three months.
    With the excitement of the show's concept vehicles, manufacturers have an
incentive to bring ideal models to production, especially for those looking to
buy in the near future.  Polk's analysis found that if their favorite concept
vehicle were produced this year, 43 percent of those ready to buy in less than
three months would purchase the vehicle.  As the purchase horizon extends, the
likelihood of buying a concept vehicle drops.

               Percent of Consumers Saying They Are Very Likely
                      To Buy Concept Vehicle if Produced

                Among Those Ready To Be In Market To Buy New Vehicle
    TOTAL    Less 3 mos.   3 - 6 mos.   7 - 12 mos.   1 - 2 Years    2+ Years
      32%           43%          29%           25%            26%         24%
    Source:  Polk

    Favorite Picks
    Polk is continuing to track the public's favorite models among several
different vehicle categories.  Current results show that eight out of the
twelve segments (67%) have a domestic vehicle as a number one choice with five
segments dominated by DaimlerChrysler.  These five segments are:
Minivan/Full-size Van, Compact Pickup Truck, Compact SUV, Regular SUV and
Sports Car.

             January 13-18, 2001 - Top 3 Leaders Based on Voting
                        At the Polk Auto Trend Centers

    Full-Size SUV:                     Minivan/Full-Size Van:
    1.  Hummer 4 Door         14.8     1.  Chrysler Town & Country        15.6
    2.  Cadillac Escalade     11.5     2.  Dodge Caravan                  12.7
    3.  Dodge Durango          6.8     3.  Ford Windstar                   9.0

    Large Car:                         Full-Size Pickup Truck:
    1.  Pontiac Bonneville    27.8     1.  Ford F-Series                  36.3
    2.  Chevrolet Impala      24.7     2.  Dodge Ram Pickup               26.8
    3.  Ford Crown Victoria   22.2     3.  Chevrolet Silverado            21.7

    Compact Pickup Truck:              Prestige Luxury Car:
    1.  Dodge Dakota Pickup   29.5     1.  Rolls Royce Silver Seraph      11.0
    2.  Ford Ranger           25.8     2.  Bentley Continental             9.3
    3.  Chevrolet S 10 Pickup 20.0         Jaguar XJ8                      9.3
                                           Mercedes Benz S Class           9.3

    Luxury Car:                        Compact SUV:
    1.  Jaguar S Type         11.6     1.  Chrysler PT Cruiser            22.2
    2.  Mercedes Benz CLK      8.1     2.  Ford Escape                    18.1
    3.  BMW 3 Series           5.6     3.  Jeep Wrangler                  17.4
        Lexus GS400            5.6

    Mid-Size Car:                      Regular SUV:
    1.  Volkswagen Jetta      10.1     1.  Jeep Grand Cherokee            16.4
    2.  Dodge Stratus          8.4     2.  Ford Explorer                  15.8
    3.  Volkswagen Passat      7.3     3.  BMW X5                         11.3

    Small Car:                         Sports Car:
    1.  MINI Cooper           26.6     1.  Dodge Viper                    15.0
    2.  Volkswagen New Beetle 15.6     2.  Lamborghini Diablo             10.9
    3.  Ford Focus            10.2     3.  Porsche 911                     7.5