Lithia Motors Earnings Release and Conference Call Information for the Full-Year and Fourth Quarter 2004

MEDFORD, Ore.--Jan. 2, 20054, 2005--Lithia Motors, Inc. today announced that its fourth quarter and year-end 2004 earnings will be released on Friday, February 18th at 5 a.m., Pacific time.

Conference Call Information

A conference call to discuss the results is scheduled for the same day at 8 a.m. PT, 9 a.m. MT, 10 a.m. CT and 11 a.m. ET.

How to Participate:

Domestic and International Calls: 973-582-2700

Please call in at least 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the call.

To listen LIVE on our website or for REPLAY: Log-on to www.Lithia.com -- Go to Investor Relations -- and click on the Conference Call Icon.

A replay will be available at the Investor Relations section of the Lithia Motors website: www.Lithia.com.

A playback of the conference call will be available on February 18, one hour after completion of the call, and will be available until March 4, 2005. The playback can be accessed by calling 973-341-3080 (access code: 5635097) or by visiting the Investor Relations section of the Lithia Motors website: www.Lithia.com.

About Lithia Motors

Lithia Motors, Inc. is a Fortune 1000 and Russell 2000 Company that sells 25 brands of new vehicles and operates 86 stores and 167 franchises in 13 Western states and over the Internet through "Lithia.com-America's Car & Truck Store." Founded in 1946, Lithia expanded from one dealership to a $2.5 billion industry-leading dealer group by 2003. Lithia became a publicly traded company in 1996. The company retailed 95,255 new and used vehicles in 2003. Lithia also arranges finance, warranty, and credit insurance contracts; and provides vehicle parts, maintenance, and repair services at all of its locations. In Fortune magazine's 2004 "Most Admired Companies" survey, Lithia ranked No. 2 among all dealerships in the Automotive Retailing and Services category. Highlighting the great partnerships it has developed in each community, the list ranked Lithia No. 1 in "social responsibility," one of eight criteria used to measure each business against its competition.

Additional Information

For additional information on Lithia Motors, contact the Investor Relations Department: 541-776-6591 or log-on to: www.lithia.com -- go to Investor Relations