Woodward Avenue Plays Host to Another Celebration Of the Automobile on September 25

Highly Respected Design Veteran Mark Trostle to Discuss History and Future of

Specialty Cars at The Bosco restaurant in Ferndale on Thursday, September 25

WHO: In the final afterglow of the 2003 Dream Cruise season, Mark Trostle, president of Creative Services at ASC Incorporated, will address the Detroit Chapter of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and talk about the history, artistry and future of halo cars. The IDSA is a national organization dedicated to communicating the value of industrial design to society, business and government.

Once a sunroof maker, ASC now specializes in quick-to-market, low-volume, high-image, specialty vehicle design, engineering and manufacturing for its OEM partners. ASC is responsible for much of the design, engineering and manufacturing on the new Chevy SSR for General Motors Corporation. Other OEM programs include: convertible systems for the BMW Z4, Toyota Solara and Mitsubishi Eclipse; and numerous appearance and body packages for vehicles such as the Dodge SRT-4, Dodge Viper, RT-10 Dodge Ram, Pontiac Grand Am and Chevrolet TrailBlazer.

WHAT: Trostle will discuss the critically important, yet largely overlooked, role that specialty vehicles have played in the history of the auto industry, from the first Louis Chevrolet-modified Model Ts to the Ford Mustang to the Dodge Viper to today's Chevy SSR and beyond. He will also discuss the youth-market trends such as the rise of the "JDM" (Japanese Domestic Market) movement on the West Coast, plus the rapidly-growing tuner market and how automakers might better reach this "fast & furious" segment.

ASC will also display the new Chevy SSR -- one of the most exciting new, domestic offerings in years.

WHERE: The Bosco, 22930 Woodward, Ferndale (248-541-8818). The restaurant is located near the intersection of Woodward Avenue and Nine Mile Road.

WHEN: Thursday, September 25. Cocktails will be served at 6 p.m. The formal presentation begins at 7 p.m.