---

Chicago Automobile Trade Association, Hollinger and Paddock Publications Create DriveChicago.com

26 July 2000

Chicago Automobile Trade Association, Hollinger and Paddock Publications Create DriveChicago.com

    CHICAGO - The Chicago Automobile Trade Association and two leading newspaper 
companies announce today the creation of a new Internet company offering the 
largest new and used car inventory in Chicago.

    Set for a fall launch, DriveChicago.com , a dealer-focused, consumer-
oriented Web site was announced today by CATA; Paddock Publications, publisher
of the Daily Herald; and Hollinger Publications, publisher of the Chicago Sun-
Times, Pioneer Press, Daily Southtown, Star Newspapers and the Post Tribune.

    The site, explains CATA Marketing Director Dennis Buckley, will offer the
single largest new and used car inventory in Chicago and the most streamlined,
direct and cost effective online model of its kind.

    DriveChicago.com will be an exclusive, regional, online automotive site
that will put the consumer directly in touch with nearly 650 dealers in the
Chicago area market as well as display auto classifieds from all of the
publications.  DriveChicago.com will also operate as an automotive industry
"Web portal" featuring news, reviews, consumer information and personal
automotive-oriented Web pages and e-mail services.

    "This is a truly revolutionary business and content-sharing alliance
between two of the three leading dailies in a major U.S. market, and auto
dealers who hold virtually all of the auto inventory," said DriveChicago.com
General Manager Joe Giarratana.

    "While other sites fulfill only one immediate buying need every few
years," said Giarratana, "our site will be aggressively updated.  It will be
content driven, offering something new to visitors every day from the latest
in car trends to updated traffic information.

    "With these two newspaper organizations providing content and promoting
the site, and dealers committed to putting their inventory before the public,
we will have the most significant automotive marketplace in the Chicago area,"
said Art Kelly, owner of Kelly Nissan in Oak Lawn and a CATA director.

    "So many automobile Web sites try to separate new car dealers and their
customers -- and then charge both parties for the privilege," said Kelly, a
DriveChicago.com organizing committee member.  "DriveChicago.com will put
consumers directly in touch with the only people who can sell and service
their new cars."

    "No amount of third-party brokering will get consumers a better price than
they get from their neighborhood new car dealer," said Kelly.

    "Content, credibility and focus on the local customer will set this site
apart from the competition," said Daily Herald President Douglas K. Ray.
"Foremost, this site will be local and that is a major differentiation," said
Ray.  "Large national companies have automotive Internet sites but none
devoted exclusively to the needs of the local customers."

    "Both media partners attract different audiences from different markets,"
said Kenneth J. DePaola, Associate Publisher of the Sun-Times.  "While the
geography in and around Chicago is large, the site will be regionally focused.

    "A sophisticated search engine will allow site visitors to find vehicles
by ZIP code, model, price or many other variables," DePaola added.  "We want
to educate as well as interact with our customers online.  We really want to
put them in the driver's seat."

    In addition to daily listings from some 650 CATA dealers in the market,
classified automotive ads from the Sun-Times, Daily Herald, Daily Southtown,
Pioneer Press, Star Newspapers and the Post Tribune will be included on the
site every day to offer the most comprehensive selection of new and used cars
of any site in Chicago.