Building a Better Car With High Performance Aluminum

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 11 -- What do the U.S. military's Humvee, the space shuttle, the rugged truck in the hit movie Lara Croft Tomb Raider, the U.S. Postal Service van, a perfect five-star safety rating, the most fuel efficient vehicle in the U.S., top selling family cars and trucks, and some of the hottest and highest performing cars on the road all have in common? In a word, aluminum.

In a special educational insert featured in today's USA Today, the aluminum industry details how aluminum plays a key role in all the areas listed above and documents the performance advantages of high strength, low weight automotive aluminum.

``The world's automakers are building cars and trucks that are safer, better performing, more fuel efficient and friendlier to the planet -- and aluminum is helping them do it. This special educational insert pulls it all together by documenting the many advantages fueling the high-tech metal's phenomenal growth. It's a must read for anyone interested in seeing where today's automakers are taking us tomorrow,'' noted Dr. Richard L. Klimisch, vice president of The Aluminum Association, Inc.

Today's educational insert is running in USA Today circulation areas in Detroit, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. Featured topics include:

Proven safety Reduced emissions Enhanced performance Increased miles per gallon Improved design & manufacturing In addition to the USA Today insert, related information is available online at http://www.autoaluminum.org .

The Aluminum Association, based in Washington, D.C. with offices in Detroit, MI, represents primary producers of aluminum, recyclers and producers of semi-fabricated products. Member companies operate almost 200 plants in the United States and many conduct business worldwide. formance Aluminum - Special Insert in Today's USA Today