Matthias Benz Named Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of ZF Group North American Operations

Benz Also Appointed as Vice President and CFO of ZF Sachs Automotive

NORTHVILLE, Mich., Dec. 13 -- ZF -- a leading worldwide supplier of driveline and chassis technology -- announced the appointment of Matthias Benz to the positions of Vice President and CFO of ZF Group NAO, and Vice President and CFO of ZF Sachs Automotive.

Benz will take over the positions Jan. 1, 2005, from his current role in the ZF Group Corporate Development/ Mergers and Acquisitions department. He was responsible for global merger and acquisition projects, and played a key role in the integration of ZF Sachs. He will move from Friedrichshafen, Germany to Northville, Mich.

Benz has spent his entire career with ZF. Prior to his corporate development responsibilities, Benz held positions within ZF in Gainesville, Ga., as Operations Analyst, and Corporate Controller. He also was Assistant to the Chairman of the Board of ZF Group.

ZF Friedrichshafen AG is a leading worldwide supplier of driveline and chassis technology. Headquartered in Friedrichshafen, Germany, ZF is among the 15 largest automotive suppliers in the world. The company has a total workforce of 53,500 at 119 locations in 25 countries, and combined revenues for the group totaled more than $10 billion in 2003.

ZF operates a large manufacturing network in North America, combined with global research and development capabilities, to provide advanced technology to the region. The ZF Group North American Operations Technical Center is located in Northville, Michigan.