Urban Truck, Car of the Year Finalists Selected

DETROIT, Dec. 30, 2002; African Americans On Wheels and Latinos On Wheels magazines today announced the finalists for the Urban Car and Truck of the Year categories. The winners for each vehicle class will be unveiled during the 7th Annual Urban Wheel Awards (UWA) ceremony, held during the press preview week of the 2003 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). The Jan. 7 invitation-only event will take place at the Detroit Institute of Arts and is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

The five finalists for Urban Truck of the Year are:

Dodge Ram Series Pick-Up Ford Expedition Honda Pilot Range Rover Volvo XC90 The five Urban Car of the Year finalists include:

* Cadillac CTS * Honda Accord * Mercedes-Benz E Class * MINI Cooper * Nissan 350Z

To be considered for the Urban Wheel Award Car or Truck of the Year category, a vehicle must have been all-new to the marketplace or have undergone significant modifications and offered for sale during calendar year 2002. Each vehicle is judged by its performance and suitability for urban- based drivers.

An independent panel of judges from Automotive News, The Detroit News, Washington Post and other notable publications select one vehicle from each category. Judges vote based upon knowledge of the industry, products and marketplace.

The panel of judges will also select the winner of the annual Patterson- Greenfield Company of the Year Award. This prestigious award, named after the only known African American auto manufacturing company in the United States, recognizes an automotive company's commitment to diversifying its workforce and community support in all aspects.

This year's finalists include:

DaimlerChrysler Corporation Ford Motor Company General Motors Corporation Nissan of North America, Inc. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Other UWA categories to be presented at the ceremony include:

* Edward Davis African-American Executive of the Year * Edward Davis Latino Executive of the Year * Minority Supplier of the Year * Urban Advantage Award (consumer-driven)

"We are extremely excited about this year's Urban Wheel Awards and the strength of the candidates for each category," said Randi Payton, African Americans On Wheels magazine publisher. "We congratulate each nominee for their outstanding achievements and thank our sponsors for making the UWA possible every year."

Program sponsors for the 2003 UWA include: AC Delco, American Honda Motor Company, Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover, Audi of America, Inc., Bentley Motors, Inc., Comerica Incorporated, CMXchange, Inc., DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Acceptance Corporation, General Motors Corporation, GlobalHue, Hyundai Motor America, Kia Motors America, Meharry - State Farm Alliance, Mercedes-Benz of North America, MINI USA, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., Nissan North America, Pontiac GMC, Reynolds & Reynolds, Subaru of America, Inc., The BMW Group, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., Uniworld Group, Inc., VITEC, Volkswagen of America, Inc., and Volvo Cars of North America.

Media sponsors include: De Mujer a Mujer, El Central Newspaper, Hispanic Magazine, La Gigante (WCAR 1090 AM), Michigan Chronicle, National Association of Hispanic Publications, Our PC magazine, Radio One, Inc., The Latino Press, The Detroit News, The Michigan FrontPage, Upscale magazine and YARDstyle. Program supporters are the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers and Rainbow PUSH Coalition (Detroit Bureau).

On Wheels Inc. is the publishing company for African Americans On Wheels and Latinos On Wheels magazines. The Detroit-based company also facilitates the Edward Davis Education Fund and the Urban Wheel Awards. For more information regarding the Urban Wheel Awards, contact (313) 963-2209, ext. 206 or email us at events@onwheelsinc.com.