2004 Motor Trend/CIAS International Design Contest Announces Judges Panel; Judges Include World Renowned Automotive Designers from Ford, Mazda, General Motors and Mitsubishi.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- MOTOR TREND, the world's #1 automotive authority, and the California International Auto Show (CIAS) today announced the judges for the 2004 MOTOR TREND/CIAS International Design Contest. Each year, an impressive panel of judges comprised of some of the leading automotive designers, MOTOR TREND editors and industry professionals evaluate the hundreds of submitted entries. Open to amateur, student and professional designers from around the world, the theme for the sixth-annual contest is "Brand It Your Way," challenging contestants to conceptualize a vehicle design that embodies the characteristics and traits of a specific, non-automotive brand. The winners will be announced during Media Day at the California International Auto Show on October 27, 2004, where the finalists' designs will be displayed throughout the show.

"We're thrilled to be able to give our contestants this unique opportunity to put their entries in front of some of the top designing experts in the automotive industry," said Matt Stone, executive editor of MOTOR TREND. "Now in its sixth year, this contest continues to attract some incredible concepts and ideas from designers all over the world and we look forward to seeing what they come up with this year."

Judges will select the top three winners in each amateur category, as well as the top five student and professional finalists in early Fall. The student and professional finalists will receive an expense-paid trip to the California International Auto Show in Anaheim, California to attend the final round of judging. MOTOR TREND's Executive Editor and Design Contest Chief Judge Matt Stone will present the awards to the winners in the Design Professional and Amateur categories at an afternoon press conference and awards ceremony on October 27, 2004.

Awards include a $2,500 prize for the overall "Best of Show" winner, $1,000 prize for the first-place winner of the Design Professional category and $1,000 scholarship towards the college or university attended by the first-place Design Student winner. Both first place winners in the Amateur categories will each receive $500, plus online classes or a scholarship to the Academy of Art University. Winners will also receive a trophy, free subscription to MOTOR TREND and have their achievement recognized in a future issue of MOTOR TREND and online at www.motortrend.com and www.mtdesigncontest.com.

About The Judges

The prestigious judging team for the 2004 MOTOR TREND/CIAS International Design Contest include the following designers and industry experts:

--Henrik Fisker - Executive Design Director/AML, California Advanced Product Creation, Ford Motor Company

In addition to holding the position of design director for Aston Martin, Henrik Fisker also serves as executive director of the California Advanced Product Creation studio for Ford Motor Company. Fisker has held the positions of president and chief executive officer of Designworks/USA, a subsidiary of BMW and has also served as designer at BMW AG and BMW Technik GmbH. Fisker holds design degrees from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and the University of Switzerland.

--Eddie Paul - President and Founder, E.P. Industries, Inc.

Eddie Paul is the Founder and President of E.P. Industries, Inc., a research, development and prototype manufacturing company established in 1970. With over 35 years of engineering experience, Paul has developed innovative designs in engines, pumps, compressors, optics, electronics, camera movements and housings, hydraulic systems and animatronics. Paul is currently a consultant for the Department of Defense, Rockwell Scientific, Mission Research, SOCOM, NRL and many others. His high-profile involvement in creating vehicles and props for movie studios has led to his work on multiple box office hits including 2Fast, 2 Furious, XXX, The Fast & The Furious, and Grease. Paul is also the author of "The Cars of the Fast and the Furious," and serves as the West Coast Technical Editor of Design News and the Technical Editor for Ol' Skool Rodz and Horse, a popular motorcycle magazine.

--Hideki Masuda - Assistant Director of Industrial Design, Academy of Art University

Hideki Masuda received a B.A. in Fine Art from Bard College in Annandale, NY, and a B.S. in Industrial Design/Transportation Design from Art Center College of Design. As a student at the Art Center, Masuda designed, engineered and built a full-scale running prototype vehicle. In 1998, he joined the Academy of Art University as an instructor in the Industrial Design Department. In addition to his role as an instructor, Masuda has contributed to developing the Industrial Design program and currently teaches both transportation design classes and computer courses at the Academy.

--Tom Matano - Director, School of Industrial Design, Academy of Art University

Tom Matano has more than 30 years of experience in the automotive design industry. Prior to joining Mazda, he held design positions at General Motors, Volvo and BMW and in 1983, he became a chief designer at Mazda North America, Inc. He continued to become vice president of the Design Division and executive vice president of Western Operations for Mazda R&D North America, Inc, as well as executive designer and director of Mazda North American Operations. Additionally, Matano has worked with Mazda in Japan as an executive designer in charge of the Global Advance Studio and has also served as the general manager of Mazda Design. Matano holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Transportation Design from the Art Center College of Design.

--Frank Saucedo - Director of Design, General Motors Advanced Design

As director of the General Motors Advanced Design Studio in Los Angeles, California., Frank Saucedo oversees a staff of 41 designers, sculptors, analysts, engineers and fabrication specialists. Saucedo joined the General Motors Design Staff in 1984 and worked his way up to the position of chief of design with General Motor's Advanced Concepts Center. Saucedo has also held the position of chief designer for Volkswagen of America's Simi Valley, California, Design Center. Saucedo is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, earning a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design.

--Daniel J. Sims - Design Director, Mitsubishi Motors Research & Design Center of America, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.

Dan Sims is the general manager of Mitsubishi Motor's Research and Design of America (MRDA), MDA design studio, a division of Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA). He is responsible for overseeing and leading design activities that take place at MRDA and has been working with Mitsubishi design both indirectly and directly for close to 20 years. Prior to his current position, Sims served as design director and chief designer of the Cypress studio. On board at Mitsubishi since September 1991, Sims has been instrumental in establishing MDA as a fully functioning production studio, was the lead designer of the current Eclipse interior and exterior, and has contributed to numerous Mitsubishi products. Prior to joining Mitsubishi, Sims worked in the international studios for Chrysler Motors where he served as the principle designer of the Dodge Avenger and Dodge Stealth. Sims holds a master's degree in Project Management from Keller Graduate School of Management and has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from the University of Cincinnati, College of Design Architecture, Art and Planning.

--Matt Stone - Executive Editor, MOTOR TREND; MOTOR TREND/CIAS International Design Contest Chief Judge

Matt Stone serves as the executive editor for MOTOR TREND magazine and has been a professional automotive journalist and photographer since 1985. Prior to joining MOTOR TREND, he contributed as a top-level freelancer to several major automotive magazines, as well as newspapers, trade publications, and newsletters. Stone's voice is often heard on the syndicated MOTOR TREND Radio Network, and he serves as the magazine's history and design expert. In addition to having authored and photographed five automotive marque history books for MBI Publishing, Stone is a Chief Class Judge at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, sits on the Meguiar's Collector Car Hobbyist of The Year panel and holds an SCCA competition license. Stone has a Bachelor's degree from Cal Poly Pomona, with a major in Business, and minors in Journalism and Marketing.

--Jeff Teague - President, Teague Design, Inc.

Jeff Teague is the president and founder of Teague Design Inc. Founded in 2000, the company functions as a design consultant corporation for automotive interior and exterior designs, product brand identity, graphic design solutions and web site hosting and design. Previously the director of the industrial design department at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Teague has served as chief designer for Volkswagen's Germany and California studios, senior designer for Mitsubishi and at Ford Motor Company. Teague has also served as Ford's principal designer for the 1984 Continental, Taurus and Sable and is an active board member at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

About MOTOR TREND/CIAS International Design Contest

Established in 1999, the MOTOR TREND/CIAS International Design Contest is administered in conjunction with the California International Auto Show (CIAS) and managed by MOTOR TREND Auto Shows, Inc. The MOTOR TREND/CIAS International Design Contest draws hundreds of entries each year from around the world and is judged by a prestigious panel of judges consisting of some of the most renowned automotive designers and journalists in the industry. Internationally recognized as the world's #1 automotive authority, MOTOR TREND is one of the leading brands in automotive publishing, and MOTOR TREND Auto Shows, Inc. is the nation's leading new-model auto show producer. The California International Auto Show is owned and operated by the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association and the Southland Motor Car Dealers Association.