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CarScene.com to Auction Bill Gates Lexus

23 June 1999

CarScene.com to Auction Bill Gates Lexus

    NORFOLK, Va., June 23 -- If you can't have Bill Gates'
billions, or live in his new house, at least you can drive his car.
    CarScene.com (http://www.carscene.com ), a new online auction site for specialty
cars, is auctioning off the Lexus LS 400 previously owned by Bill Gates,
founder of Microsoft Corporation.  The bidder who takes home Gates' Lexus will
also receive two (2) shares of Microsoft stock from CarScene.com .  The car
owner, Phil Weigand, will supply the original title showing proof of ownership
and a letter from Gates on Microsoft stationery certifying that he owned and
drove the car.
    "We even have the original license plates," said Weigand.  "It's cool to
look outside your house and see Bill Gates' car in the driveway.  We've had a
lot of fun owning it.  Now it's time for someone else.  It's Gates' car so we
figured it was only right to sell it on the Internet.  That way the whole
world gets a chance to own a piece of Microsoft history."
    Weigand purchased the car at a charity auction to benefit Outward Bound.
Proceeds from this sale will go to the Humane Society of Portland, Oregon.
"Bill has established himself as a philanthropist," Weigand added.  "I'm just
following his lead.  I hope the person who buys the car will do the same."
    "Phil's situation speaks to the growing power of the Internet," said Joe
Fiveash, president of CarScene.com .  "His plan was to reach out to 400 people
in his community to raise money for a local cause.   We'll be able to expose
Gates' car to hundreds of thousands of people, worldwide, and still keep his
donation in his community."
    Gates' car is just one of thousands of unique specialty cars showcased on
CarScene.com .  The burgundy Lexus LS 400 will run in CarScene.com's auction
until the week of July 12.
    CarScene.com is a new Web site focusing only on specialty cars: sports
cars, muscle cars, street rods, and antique cars.  The site offers next-
generation online auctions, multi-picture gallery classified ads, message
boards and other features networking the car-enthusiast community.
    The business evolved from former Net-A-Car, Inc., an innovative online
classifieds business recently acquired by Landmark Communications, Inc.
Net-A-Car was well-regarded during its three-year history for producing
outstanding sales results through creative online presentations of collectible
cars.
    Springboarding from Net-A-Car's online expertise, CarScene.com will also
combine the marketing and product development resources of Landmark
Communications to build the web's premier specialty-car community.
    "Car lovers around the world have been waiting for an interactive,
cohesive web community like CarScene.com," continued Fiveash.  "We've
developed a web site that will connect auto enthusiasts with each other as
well as showcase unique vehicles."
    How do you know whether the car is the real thing?  "Selling cars online
isn't like selling Beanie Babies," said Ned Lilly, CarScene vice president.
"In all of our auctions, the winning bidders have a chance to inspect the car
and verify that everything the seller has told them is true before they write
a check."
    Bidding on Gates' Lexus LS 400 is open to the public -- as are all of the
auctions at CarScene.com .
    CarScene.com is owned by Landmark Communications, a privately held company
with national and international interests in a variety of media.  Landmark
owns The Weather Channel cable network, and is co-owner of Trader Publishing
Company, publisher of the Auto Trader family of magazines.  Based in Norfolk,
Virginia, Landmark employs more than 4,500 people.

    The Power of Persuasion and the Internet ...

    Weigand had intended to 'download' Gates' Lexus at a local raffle.
Realizing the audience potential of the Internet, Weigand's daughter, Mary,
persuaded him to auction off the car online with CarScene.com .  While
Weigand's initial plan would have reached roughly 400 people, CarScene.com
will tap into the world community and raise money for the Humane Society of
Portland, Ore., where Weigand's wife works.

                           Double Click

                 -- Bill Gates' Lexus LS 400 will
                    be auctioned off at http://www.carscene.com
                    until the week of July 12
                 -- The bidder who takes home Gates'
                    Lexus also gets two (2) shares
                    of Microsoft stock from CarScene.com
                 -- CarScene.com launches online
                    collector-car enthusiast community