Cougar Ace update - No cars to be sold as new

Anyone ready for a discount Mazda?

Posted on a local list:


Mazda News Release: September 12, 2006

No Mazda Vehicles on Car-Carrying Vessel Cougar Ace will be Sold as
New Vehicles

HIROSHIMA, Japan-- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today
announced that the Mazda vehicles aboard the car-carrying vessel,
Cougar Ace, which ran into trouble on July 23, 2006, off the Alaskan
coast, resulting in her listing some 60-plus degrees, will not be
sold as new vehicles.

"While we do not, at this time, know the full extent of the damage to
vehicles on board, none of the Mazdas will be sold as new", said Jim
O'Sullivan, president and CEO of MNAO. "Those beyond repair will be
immediately scrapped. It is possible that those vehicles which are
repairable would be made available for sale as used cars through
Mazda's dealer network in the U.S. and Canada. We will only be in a
position to decide on any used car sales once the vessel has been
unloaded and each unit comprehensively inspected."

"In the interests of transparency and customer peace of mind, we will
post a listing of all vehicle identification numbers (VINs) on our
consumer Websites, www.MazdaUSA. com and www.mazda.ca so that there is
no confusion as to which vehicles were on the ship," stated O'Sullivan.

The Cougar Ace sailed from Japan to North America with just over
4,700 Canadian- and U.S-bound Mazdas aboard. She became stricken when
an issue during a routine ballast-water change caused her to list.
Thanks to heroic efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard, all 23 crew members
were transferred from the ship within hours.

After the ship was stabilized, she was towed by her owners to
sheltered waters in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where she was returned to
an even keel. She is currently under tow to the Port of Portland,
Ore., where she is expected to arrive on September 12 (the same date
in local time). Upon arrival, her cargo will be further evaluated and
unloaded.



Pat