'Mr. Hot Wheels(R)' and Monster Garage's Jesse James Lead AutoWeek Magazine's Design Forum Agenda During the 2008 North American International Auto Show

DETROIT, Jan. 2, 2008 -- "Mr. Hot Wheels" and "Mr. Monster Garage" will infuse a hefty dose of fun into the AutoWeek Design Forum, 8 a.m. - 9 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008, in the Riverview Ballroom of Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center in Detroit, Mich. "Designed for Fun" is the theme of the 15th annual event.

Larry Wood, veteran miniature car designer and leader of Mattel Inc.'s Toy Car Division and Jesse James, television celebrity and owner of West Coast Choppers, are among the leading automotive and consumer designers who will share their insights throughout the daylong event.

Wood has been designing Hot Wheels for nearly all of the collectibles' 40 years of production. Following a brief stint with Ford Motor Company designing real cars, Wood joined the toymaker in 1969 as a one-man operation. Today, Wood is among more than 30 Hot Wheels designers who have collectively developed as many as 100 unique cars in one year. Mattel produces five million Hot Wheels each week.

Hot Wheels celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2008 with a special series of 1:64-scale model cars designed by six automotive industry manufacturers, including Dodge, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Lotus and Mitsubishi (as reported in the Dec. 24, 2007 issue of AutoWeek). Accompanied by Hot Wheel's own vehicle, the collection is set to hit stores in the spring.

James catapulted to national fame through the Discovery Channel's "Monster Garage" as the leader of televised teams of experts who built "monster machines." The hour-long program showcased the groups' adventures in transforming stock vehicles into other types of vehicles or machinery. Some of the more memorable projects included transformation of the Chrysler PT Cruiser into a wood chipper, a Lincoln Continental into an open road racer and a Ford Model A into a rat rod, just to name a few.

As owner of West Coast Choppers, a Long Beach, California, custom motorcycle fabrication shop he founded in 1992, James developed a following with the special-order motorcycles - ranging in price from $60,000 to $150,000 - he painstakingly tailors for each buyer.

  Rounding out the AutoWeek Design Forum speaker roster are:

    -- Paul Kolada, founder and principal, Priority Designs, an industrial
       design consulting firm
    -- Aaron Pizzuti, design manager, Chrysler LLC, (Dodge Durango and
       Jeep(R) Hurricane)
    -- Troy Trepanier, president, Rad Rides by Troy, an automotive
       customization enterprise
    -- Franz von Holzhausen, director of design, Mazda North American
       Operations, (Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky)
    -- Carl Zipfel, director of exterior design, HUMMER, General Motors,
       (HUMMER HX concept)

The Design Forum agenda also includes guided tours of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) and presentation of the AutoWeek Editors' Choice Awards.

Advance registration for the daylong program, which includes continental breakfast, lunch, NAIAS tour, reception and dinner program, is $275. Advance tickets for the full day or dinner program only are $225 and $175 each, respectively. Deadline for online registration is Friday, January 11. Limited on-site registration will be available during the Design Forum at $325 for the full day and $225 for dinner-only attendance.

Visit AutoWeek.com/dforum for additional information and to register online. Information is also available by contacting Kathy Sovoda at 313-446- 6041 or ksovoda@crain.com.

Johnson Controls is the host sponsor of the 2008 AutoWeek Design Forum. The event is also sponsored by Dassault Systemes, in association with the NAIAS.

AutoWeek is the only weekly automotive-enthusiast magazine in North America providing its passionate readers with up-to-date information like no other automotive news source. With nearly 50 years of unbiased editorial, it delivers the latest on vehicle reviews, motorsports, events and trends, personalities, auto show coverage and more.

AutoWeek.com delivers breaking news, vehicle specs, photo galleries and podcasts to viewers faster than any other source. With its online community, visitors have the opportunity to post their own reviews and register to win unique trips as well as receive the latest, tailored e-mail alerts and blogs to fuel their automotive lifestyle proving why first means everything.

NOTE TO EDITORS: AutoWeek editors are available for interviews by contacting Rachael Poirier.