2005 NAIAS: ASC Shows Off 'An Entire Showroom' of Five Specialty Vehicles at Detroit Auto Show

-- Introductions Include World's First Modern, Production-intent Four-door Convertible -- A Showroom 'Of Innovation and Capability'

DETROIT, Jan. 9 -- A year ago here at the North American International Auto Show, ASC Incorporated announced it was changing the definition of its name to "American Specialty Cars" to reflect the company's new focus on being a complete specialty-vehicle development partner for the world's automakers, with an emphasis on bona fide innovation coupled with bona fide capabilities, especially in engineering, to deliver on those innovations.

Today, ASC "delivered the goods" by showing off no fewer than five market- ready vehicles, which together represent the growing breadth and depth of ASC's engineering, as well as styling, design and production, capabilities.

"What you're seeing here is an entire showroom of innovation and capability from ASC, " said Paul Wilbur, ASC's president and chief executive officer. "Our objective for this show was to create new concepts that are actually market-ready prototypes, with very significant engineering feasibility already performed by ASC such that actual OEM production versions could be brought to market in 24 months or less."

The vehicles ASC showed were:

-- ASC Helios--Named after the Greek god of the sun, the Helios (pronounced "HE-lee-ohs") is the world's first modern, production-intent four- door convertible since the Lincoln Continental Convertible was discontinued in 1967. Thanks to several patent-pending ASC body-engineering advances, including an innovative cross-car bulkhead, longitudinal tunnel and underbody reinforcements, this roomy, four-door halo car has better torsional characteristics (a prime measure of a quiet, stable ride) than many benchmark convertibles currently on the market, including, according to ASC, the Mercedes-Benz CLK Convertible and the Lexus SC 430 Convertible, both much smaller, two-door cars. ASC also predicts, according to its (industry- standard) computer simulations, that the Helios' side-impact safety characteristics would be comparable to those of similarly sized hardtop sedans, and would meet side-impact federal regulations. Moreover, thanks also to ASC's patent-pending inward-folding xpanse(TM) convertible-top system, the Helios' 5'8" top rises out of an area behind the rear seats so small (18" across) that no modifications to the base model's deck lid were required. Plus, the two rear bucket seats have room for five degrees of power-adjusted recline and the trunk space is still large enough for four sets of golf clubs. The Helios also marks the North American debut of the 30-gigabite Sony XYZ(R) (pronounced "zee-zed") three-dimensional navigation system, which renders images so realistic that what the driver sees on the screen is exactly as it appears in real life.

-- ASC GTO Stinger-A Goat with a lot more "billy," it's a model that could be offered by ASC as a dealer-upfit package as early as the fall of 2005. Features include several new, aggressive-looking body panels made using both ASC's patent-pending RIMForm(TM) low-investment composites process and ASC's patent-pending OmniCarbon(TM) carbon-fiber process for low-volume production. This particular package also features a Magnuson(TM) supercharger that takes the horsepower to an estimated 550 ponies, a short-throw Tremec(TM) 6-speed transmission to harness those equines effortlessly and a custom Borla(TM) exhaust system. The vehicle's RIMForm(TM) composite components include: an all-new hood with dual integrated functional scoops; all-new, aggressive- looking wheel flares, front and rear; custom two-piece fascias, front and rear; and custom two-piece rocker panels. Its OmniCarbon(TM) components include: a "stinger"-style spoiler on the deck lid; custom carbon-fiber fascia inserts; and carbon fiber appliqués on both exterior mirror-surrounds. Continuing with the theme, interior appointments include custom leather seats with vertical carbon-fiber-look inserts and yellow racing stripes down the seat centers; a carbon-fiber-look rear-seat "waterfall" area between the rear seats; and carbon-fiber-look door trim on both doors.

-- ASC Solara Platinum Edition-Named in honor of the 20th anniversary of ASC's partnership with Toyota on convertible production, this special Solara package celebrates that anniversary with a Pepper custom-color Haartz(TM) convertible top and handsome 7-spoke-design, bright-satin-silver ASA(R) 18" custom wheels. Supplying the current Solara production model from its plant in Lexington, Ken., ASC has worked on seven straight generations of high- quality Toyota convertibles.

-- ASC Diamondback-A 500hp, fixed-roof, carbon-fiber-from-the-belt-line-up street rocket of the first degree. Just as important, it's also an all-in-one showcase for ASC's low-cost OMNICarbon(TM) carbon-fiber technologies; ASC's capabilities in packaging and integrating accessories; ASC's capabilities in high-performance derivative vehicles of all types; and ASC's expertise at converting existing convertibles into coupes, as well as vice versa. First shown at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas in November 2004, the Diamondback-which is significantly lighter and two inches lower to the ground than a stock Chevy SSR-features a supercharged 6.0- liter engine with 6-speed manual transmission, unique rocker panels housing dual side-outlet exhaust and an all-new stowage area behind the seats housing, among other things, a massive 12" subwoofer connected to the vehicle's state- of-the-art Sony-branded sound system.

-- ASC Dearborn Deuce Convertible(TM)-The world's first all-steel-body replica of a 1932 Ford "deuce" with a fully operational, modern convertible top, this gorgeous vehicle also features 3-1/2" longer doors for easier ingress and egress, 2-1/2" deeper cockpit for increased leg room, 2 cu. ft. more truck space and real, glass side windows, which operate electrically. This particular vehicle also represents the first application of a Ford crate motor in a Dearborn Deuce Convertible(TM)-in particular, a Ford Racing fuel- injected 4.6-liter, dual-overhead-cam "Signature Series" V-8 engine, with a newly added Eaton Corp. Generation IV Roots-type supercharger. The winner of two awards at SEMA ("Best-Engineered Product" and "Best Street-Rod Product" runner-up), this Dearborn Deuce Convertible(TM) also features eye-popping Acurail(TM) polished frame rails and a fuse-less electrical system. Just since its launch this past summer, more than 250 units of the Dearborn Deuce Convertible(TM) have been sold.

"This showroom of vehicles represents unique and exciting business opportunities for our OEM customers," continued Wilbur. "Among other things, these vehicles are aimed squarely at helping OEMs fight back against today's excessively high sales incentives by bringing to market, quickly and efficiently, the type of exciting vehicles that can command higher real prices and help fill existing OEM assembly-plant capacity. To that end, ASC's showroom is like an extra set of hands standing by to help the world's automakers."

ASC's award-winning programs include vehicle development and sub-assembly of the Chevrolet SSR (winner of a "Gold" award in the 2004 Industrial Design Excellence Awards, or IDEA, competition sponsored by Business Week magazine); convertible systems for the Toyota Solara and Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder; and numerous appearance programs and body packages for such products as the Dodge SRT-4, Dodge Viper SRT-10 and Pontiac Grand Am SC/T. Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Southgate, Mich., the company employs more than 1,200 car nuts at ten facilities in the U.S. and Germany, and is on the Web at http://www.ascglobal.com/ .