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• 2001 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Honored As 'Automobile Of The Year' By Automobile Magazine

• Chrysler PT Cruiser Named North American Car of the Year

• Land Rover Develops New Market Segment with Freelander

• General Motors and Toyota Announce All-New Vehicle Pontiac to Market in North America; Toyota to Market in Japan

• DaimlerChrysler Corporation’s New Toledo North Assembly Plant Represents Worldwide Best Practices for Lean, Flexible, High-Quality Manufacturing

• PSA Record 2000 Sales

• A successful year 2000 - Audi sales figures at a new record level
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• BMW Sets New Sales Record, With Over 822,000 Cars Sold
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• Bentley Prototype EXP Speed 8 Le Mans Racing Car Revealed in Detroit
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• James E. Press Named Chief Operating Officer of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
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• Lear Corporation earns Fiat Qualitas award

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News of  January 10, 2001

General Motors and Toyota Announce All-New Vehicle Pontiac to Market in North America; Toyota to Market in Japan
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The Vibe

Photo: GM

Detroit, Mich. -The Vibe, an all-new vehicle from the General Motors and Toyota partnership, is a result of the two companies leveraging technology, engineering, design, manufacturing and people resources. General Motors North America proposed the overall vehicle concept and provided its design. Toyota engineered and developed the vehicle based on GM’s and Toyota’s requirements. The Vibe will be produced at the New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) facility in Fremont, Calif.

Pontiac will market the Vibe in the United States and Canada and a right-hand drive version will be exported to Japan and marketed by Toyota.

"Toyota and GM have working relationships on many levels, from advanced propulsion and fuel systems to production programs," says Rick Wagoner, president and CEO of General Motors. "Our collaborations are a benchmark in mutually beneficial relationships for the auto industry. As a production program, the Vibe will build on the long-standing foundation of product quality and manufacturing excellence established at NUMMI."

"Joint ventures are an important element of today’s automotive landscape," says Fujio Cho, president of Toyota Motor Corporation. "The development of the Vibe holds distinct advantages for both GM and Toyota. Both tooling and engineering expense are reduced from what would have occurred had each company acted alone. We have also taken advantage of each organization’s strengths in the development of the vehicle."

"Today, GM introduces the first of several entry-level vehicles designed for North America," added Wagoner. "The Pontiac Vibe will improve our foothold in this market and provide the younger generations vehicles tailored to meet their financial and personal needs."

The Vibe will have a distinctive role in GM’s new entry-level vehicle portfolio. Its purposeful, athletic design and highly accommodating interior are tailored to fit the lifestyles of buyers who are young in spirit. The vehicle has a surprising level of performance designed to meet the growing class of younger buyers moving up America’s corporate ladder. Like the NUMMI-built Prizm, the Vibe possesses the durability and reliability appealing to mainstream customers who want the best combination of value for the money, safety, performance and space. A comprehensive package of safety features will satisfy today’s entry level buyers who are brand savvy and quality conscious.

"Selling the Vibe in Japan is also likely to enhance NUMMI’s competitiveness due to the resulting increase in manufacturing volume, thus further heightening the positive results of Toyota and GM’s cross-border cooperation and concord," Cho said. "And the Vibe has potential as a new, attractive product for the Japanese market. We are pleased to work in such close cooperation with GM regarding the development and manufacturing of the Vibe and are confident this vehicle will generate new energy and excitement in the entry-level market."

GM and Toyota are joint owners of the NUMMI assembly plant, located in Fremont, Calif. The plant has received numerous awards including the 2000 and 1999 JD Power Silver Award for being one of the top North American assembly plants. The Prizm, a NUMMI product is regularly recognized as a quality leader in the entry-car segment, winning numerous JD Power quality and customer satisfaction awards, and as a "recommended buy" for six consecutive years by Consumer Digest.

(Jan. 09, 2001)

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