Volvo and Sir Richard Branson Unveil Winner of Trip to Space

   At New York International Auto Show, Thursday, March 24, 11:50 a.m.

                      MEDIA ALERT/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

  WHAT:       Volvo Cars of North America will be joined by billionaire
              entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson to unveil the winner of a
              trip on a sub-orbital flight to space on Sir Richard's Virgin
              Galactic (www.virgingalactic.com).

  WHEN:       Thursday, March 24, 2005
              11:50 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. (video and still photographers should
              arrive at 11:35 a.m. for positioning)

  WHERE:      Volvo Cars of North America Level 3, Booth 204
              2005 New York International Auto Show
              Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 11th Ave. between 34th &
               39th Sts.
              New York City

  WHO:        Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman, The Virgin Group of
               Companies
              Ann Belec, president and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America
              Winner of trip to space (to be revealed at news conference)

  VISUAL:     Branson will enter the stage in an out of this world fashion

  WHY:        During the 2005 Super Bowl, Volvo introduced its new
              V8-powered Volvo XC90 SUV with an out of this world
              sweepstakes to win a flight to space on a Virgin Galactic
              space ship.  The ad, featuring Sir Richard Branson as an
              astronaut piloting a rocket ship, encouraged people to enter
              for the trip at www.boldlygo.com.  More than 135,000 aspiring
              astronauts registered for the trip, valued at $200,000.
              Virgin Galactic -- one of the world's first commercial space
              tourism operators -- plans to debut commercial space flight
              within the next two to three years.  The sweepstakes winners
              will receive astronaut training and will fly on one of Virgin
              Galactic's initial voyages.  During the flight, he or she will
              experience weightlessness, view the stars above and see planet
              Earth below.

PRNewswire -- March 22