Cinco de Mayo Celebration Debuts Nine Hundred-Pound Pinata... of a full-sized PT Cruiser

Press Release
Source: Chrysler Group

Cinco de Mayo Celebration Debuts Nine Hundred-Pound Pinata

Monday May 2, 9:41 am ET
* One-of-a-kind pinata modeled after Chrysler PT Cruiser
* Pinata created in celebration of Chrysler PT Cruiser's fifth
anniversary and Cinco de Mayo

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The too-cool-to-
categorize Chrysler PT Cruiser is celebrating five years of turning
heads and impressing owners, and to mark this unique, flexible and
fun-to-drive vehicle, the Chrysler Group is revealing the newest PT
Cruiser that is sure to create a buzz -- the 2005 PT Cruiser pinata.
This one-of-a-kind design is only available the fifth month of 2005
and isn't driven, but rather hangs 7 feet off the ground and is
stuffed with prizes.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050502/DEM012 )

The life-sized, 900-pound, fifth-birthday pinata, the largest pinata
of its kind, debuted at one of the largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations
in the nation, the Old Town Fiesta in San Diego. Cinco de Mayo also
celebrates "fives" this year when it lands on 05-05-05.

"In the last five years, Chrysler has kept the PT Cruiser fresh and
exciting with 11 variations," said Jeff Bell, Vice President, Chrysler
Marketing - Chrysler Group. "Since it is our fifth anniversary and
Cinco de Mayo will occur on 05-05-05, we created a real-life PT
Cruiser pinata stuffed with hundreds of fun prizes, including a set of
keys for a new PT Cruiser Convertible."

The Chrysler Group changed the landscape of the automotive market when
it introduced the segment-busting Chrysler PT Cruiser five years ago.
Its one- of-a-kind PT Cruiser styling and Swiss-Army-Knife-like
interior flexibility, offered at a compact car price, redefined the
small car segment, became an instant hit with consumers and is still
popular with them today.

Weighing in at approximately 900 pounds and covered in 1,500 feet of
paper, the 2005 PT Cruiser pinata is significantly lighter than its
drivable brethren, but identical in length and width at 13 feet long
and 6 feet wide. Its limited-edition three-tone exterior color -- red,
white and green -- was chosen in honor of the Mexican holiday, Cinco
de Mayo.

Once pulled, the bottom of the Chrysler PT Cruiser pinata gave way to
more than 1,200 free prizes, including a set of keys for a two year
lease on a new 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible, T-shirts, candy,
beach balls, beach towels, windbreakers, hats and sunglasses. One
lucky puller finding the keys won a two-year lease on the convertible.

About the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser

The Chrysler Group redefined the small-car segment with the 2005
Chrysler PT Cruiser. Its one-of-a-kind styling is a dramatic
alternative to anything else on the road today, let alone the typical
small car found in this price class. Owners can express their sense of
style and individuality while enjoying the peace of mind that the PT
Cruiser's best-in-class quality offers -- quality that has earned the
Chrysler PT Cruiser recommendations from leading consumer magazines,
as well as Strategic Vision's Total Quality Award.

In addition to its one-of-a-kind retro PT Cruiser styling, the 2005
Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible boasts a power convertible soft top,
13 inches more rear legroom than its competitors, storage space large
enough to fit at least two golf bags or similar lifestyle equipment,
two available turbo engine options and an exceptionally quiet ride.


--
It's a big old goofy world. - John Prine