Volvo and Sir Richard Branson Unveil Winner of Trip to Space

At New York International Auto Show, Thursday, March 24, 11:50 a.m.

MEDIA ALERT/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

WHAT: Volvo Cars of North America will be joined by billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson to unveil the winner of a trip on a sub-orbital flight to space on Sir Richard’s Virgin

Galactic (http://www.virgingalactic.com).

WHEN: Thursday, March 24, 2005 11:50 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. (video and still photographers should arrive at 11:35 a.m. for positioning)

WHERE: Volvo Cars of North America Level 3, Booth 204 2005 New York International Auto Show Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 11th Ave. between 34th & 39th Sts. New York City

WHO: Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman, The Virgin Group of Companies Ann Belec, president and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America Winner of trip to space (to be revealed at news conference)

VISUAL: Branson will enter the stage in an out of this world fashion

WHY: During the 2005 Super Bowl, Volvo introduced its new V8-powered Volvo XC90 SUV with an out of this world sweepstakes to win a flight to space on a Virgin Galactic space ship. The ad, featuring Sir Richard Branson as an astronaut piloting a rocket ship, encouraged people to enter for the trip at http://www.boldlygo.com. More than 135,000 aspiring astronauts registered for the trip, valued at $200,000. Virgin Galactic — one of the world’s first commercial space tourism operators — plans to debut commercial space flight within the next two to three years. The sweepstakes winners will receive astronaut training and will fly on one of Virgin

Galactic’s initial voyages. During the flight, he or she will experience weightlessness, view the stars above and see planet Earth below.