AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES ITS 1999 AUTOMOBILE OF THE YEAR - THE VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE

Detroit, Michigan.- AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE unveiled its 1999 Automobile of the Year, the Volkswagen New Beetle, at the North American International Auto Show at Detroit's Cobo Center. While presenting the trophy to Volkswagen executives at a press event, AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE Editor and Publication Director David E. Davis, Jr. stated: "AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE is a celebration of great cars--great cars with a definite enthusiast skew. We evaluated some wonderful sedans, sports cars and sport utility vehicles this year, but the Beetle emerged as the most appropriate and obvious choice for our 1999 Automobile of the Year. It gives us great pleasure to recognize the New Beetle for its character, its quality, its value, its impact on the global automotive industry, and the sheer joy it brings to anyone who drives it, sits in it, or sees it on the road. It is the most important automobile to debut in the 1999 model year and our kind of car!"

"We are obviously thrilled to accept this highly coveted award from one of the world's most respected automotive publications," said Gerd Klauss, president and CEO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "It is certainly not lost on us that the reader interest Automobile Magazine created by its extensive coverage of the original Concept 1 design car contributed to the New Beetle becoming a reality. Clearly, an award like this tells us that the car has met your very high expectations."

AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE's Automobile of the Year Award, first presented to the Mazda MX-5 Miata in 1990, is a way of recognizing and celebrating the best of the best among all new vehicles each year. Other winners have been: (1991) Acura NSX, (1992) Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan, (1993) Chrysler Concorde/Dodge Intrepid/Eagle Vision, (1994) Dodge/Plymouth Neon, (1995) BMW M3, (1996) Honda Civic, (1997) Toyota RAV4, and (1998) Porsche Boxster.

The New Beetle began as a beloved design study called Concept 1 five years ago, and made its worldwide debut at the 1998 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Rekindling the magic of its legendary namesake, the New Beetle instantly became a welcome ray of sunshine in an all-too-serious car market. It also established itself as a totally modern creation, functional and with plenty of creature comforts, great driving characteristics and the latest advancements in small-car safety.

AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE, the most contemporary and experiential of the automotive magazines, is a PRIMEDIA consumer publication. Other PRIMEDIA titles include Seventeen, New York, Modern Bride and Chicago Magazines.