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Alamo Tests Entertainment Vans

27 April 2000

Alamo Tests Entertainment Vans - Backseat Entertainment, OnStar Help Families Drive Happier -

    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--April 27, 2000--Beginning in May, Alamo Rent A Car will begin renting entertainment vans featuring TV/VCR packages and On Star(R) navigational systems as part of an initial market test at their Fort Lauderdale rental facility.
    The specially equipped Pontiac Montana minivans will be outfitted with a TV/VCR package that also has auxiliary inputs for playing video games and for viewing vacation footage from the family camcorder. Headphone jacks, also included, will allow for private listening by passengers so the driver can still listen to the radio or other choice of music up front. The vans also come equipped with GM's OnStar system, the innovative 24-hour service that provides drivers with superior safety, security and information services at the touch of a button. Vans will be available for customers who have reserved another vehicle beforehand and wish to upgrade up on arrival. Alamo plans to roll out similar vehicles nationwide, as availability increases.
    "This test is another example of Alamo's obsession with serving the unique needs of leisure travelers. The new vans will help enhance our customers' vacation experience in the same way in-flight entertainment helps pass the time on airplanes. `Are we there yet?' may soon be a thing of the past," said Alamo President Mike Going. "Additionally, our leisure customers will definitely drive happier with the safety and convenience of OnStar."
    Alamo recently conducted extensive research into identifying the specific needs of leisure travelers. The results clearly indicated that leisure travelers' needs vary significantly from those of business travelers. As a result, Alamo has instituted a number of initiatives designed to make the car rental experience easier and more pleasant for this important market segment. The Fort Lauderdale facility, where the new vans will be tested, is the first Alamo location to be completely redesigned to include previously unheard of amenities such as children's play areas, all-in-one rental information "go guides," changing rooms, travel direction kiosks, retail centers and a host of other services.
    Alamo Rent A Car is a division of ANC Rental Corporation. Currently a division of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN), ANC is one of the world's largest car rental companies with revenue of over $3.5 billion and operations in more than 65 other countries. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Alamo currently serves more than 15 million travelers a year through 108 locations in the United States and Canada, and more than 400 international locations in Europe and Latin America. Alamo can be reached on the Internet at alamo.com.