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SmarTire Teams With Top Custom Wheel Distributor, Ronal USA

26 July 1999

SmarTire Teams With Top Custom Wheel Distributor, Ronal USA

    RICHMOND, B.C.--July 26, 1999--SmarTire USA Inc., a subsidiary of SmarTire Systems Inc. , is teaming with Ronal USA Wheels to sell SmarTire tire monitoring systems in a total solution tire and wheel package.
    "We are very pleased to announce Ronal as our newest business partner," said Gary Schlachter, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, SmarTire USA. "Ronal is known for having the very highest quality and styling standards. They produce some of the world's finest wheels. We anticipate a very successful relationship between our two organizations as a result of Ronal's unique approach to merchandising its custom wheels."
    The custom wheel market is ideal for SmarTire. These high performance tire and wheel packages represent tremendous investments. By using a tire monitoring system, a driver is kept informed of the vehicle's tire pressure to help maximize tire performance and protect that investment.
    "When upgrading to larger size tires and wheels with lower profile tires, it becomes more difficult to notice a loss in air pressure. As a result, we've decided to offer this total solution package with SmarTire," said Gary Allison, General Manager, Ronal USA. He added that Ronal will market the SmarTire package solely through its California distribution headquarters.
    Ronal manufactures and distributes an array of high-end wheels, including Brabus, Alpina and Schnitzer. The company markets Pirelli tires exclusively as part of its wheel and tire packages. All Ronal wheels are manufactured in Germany and are TUV approved.
    Ronal was chosen best wheel manufacturer by Germany's TUV organization and is considered the world's premier OEM and aftermarket alloy wheel manufacturer. Ronal manufactures OEM wheels for such European automobile manufacturers as Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, VW, Saab and Lotus; for specialty European tuners like Lorinser, Brabus, Hartage, Alpina and AC Schnitzer; and for American automobile companies such as GM and Ford. Ronal USA is the North American distributor for Ronal GmbH, of Germany. Ronal USA can be reached at 1-800-899-1212 or visit their website at www.ronalusa.com.
    SmarTire Systems Inc. develops and markets proprietary tire monitoring systems for the North American and European automotive aftermarkets. Through their strategic alliance, SmarTire Systems and TRW Inc. are committed to providing superior tire monitoring systems for both aftermarket and original equipment applications. Additional information is available at www.smartire.com.

    Robert V. Rudman, CA, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

    Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including the impact of competitive products and pricing and general economic conditions as they affect the Company's customers. Actual results and developments may therefore differ materially from those described in this release.