Fontana Nissan Hosts Grand Opening; Nissan Celebrates Its First African American Owned Dealership in the Southwest Region

GARDENA, Calif.--March 16, 2005--Nissan North America, Inc.'s (NNA) Southwest Region will make history today with the opening of its first African American-owned dealership in Fontana, California. Fontana Nissan will be operated by Marcellus Wims, a 12-year veteran of the automotive industry.

Wims' appointment as dealer-principal of Fontana Nissan supports NNA's commitment to improving business results by establishing a more diverse dealer network as part of Nissan's Corporate Diversity Initiative. To date, NNA has increased its number of African American-owned dealerships nationwide by 188 percent since the launch of the initiative in 1998. With the appointment of Wims as dealer-principal, Nissan will have at least one African American dealer in all of its Nissan and Infiniti Regions, making for a total of 23 African American-owned dealerships.

"Opening a new dealership provides another opportunity for our customers to access our exciting product line-up," said Kent Brawner, vice president, southwest region at NNA. "The appointment of an African American dealer supports Nissan's commitment to improve diversity among its dealer body. We are privileged to have Wims, a seasoned leader in the automotive industry, as a member of the Nissan team."

NNA will celebrate the official grand opening ceremony at Fontana Nissan located at 16444 S. Highland Ave., near the I-210 Freeway, between Citrus and Sierra Aves. Nissan executives, city officials and Fontana residents will be present to celebrate the opening of the new dealership and to honor Wims.

"It is definitely an exciting time to join the Nissan family and I am looking forward to utilizing my expertise to meet the needs of Nissan's increasingly diverse customer base and to help Nissan exceed its global objectives," said Wims.

About Nissan North America, Inc.

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.infiniti.com.