Honda is Vehicle Manufacturer of 2005 SEMA Show; Honda Expands Participation with SEMA to Debut All-New 2006 Civic Si Coupe

CHICAGO--Feb. 10, 2005--SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, announced that American Honda will increase its support of the automotive specialty market by participating as the Vehicle Manufacturer of the 2005 SEMA Show. The announcement came during the SEMA press conference at the Chicago Auto Show.

"It has been quite some time since SEMA has had the pleasure to announce a new Vehicle Manufacturer of the SEMA Show," said Christopher J. Kersting, SEMA president and CEO. "American Honda Motor Company has been a long-time participant in various SEMA initiatives that help increase the variety and ready availability of specialty parts and accessories for Honda vehicles. We are predicting the synergy between Honda and our 2005 exhibitors will be extremely powerful."

Historically, three original equipment manufacturers have supported the event through what SEMA has termed "Vehicle Manufacturer of the Show" - a role that demonstrates a heightened awareness, heightened commitment and heightened partnership with the specialty products industry.

"We're thrilled at the opportunity to play a larger part in the 2005 SEMA Show as Vehicle Manufacturer of the Show with the 2006 Civic as Vehicle of the Show," said John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda Motor Co. Inc. "The performance aftermarket has played a big part in the image of Honda with young buyers and performance enthusiasts. SEMA is the perfect venue to highlight our company's commitment to the market and the exciting new products we're building, including our all-new Civic and the new Ridgeline truck."

The 2005 SEMA Show takes place Nov. 1, 2004-4, 2005, in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information contact Mike Schoenbachler at 909-396-0289 ext. 217, or via e-mail at mike@sema.org.

SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, represents the $29 billion specialty automotive industry of 5,727 member-companies. It is the authoritative source for research, data, trends and market growth information for automakers and the specialty autoparts industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. For more information contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765: call 909-396-0289; or visit www.sema.org and www.enjoythedrive.com.

Chicago Auto Show images available at: http://www.semaphotos.com/default.a4d?tpl=images&model=all&kw=2005+Chicago+Auto+Show&page=1 (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)