* Hundreds of Adventurous Consumers Participate in Modern Day Treasure Hunt at Imperial Beach (Calif.) to Kick Off U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition * Chris Robinson Finds Keys Buried in the Sand and is Awarded All-New 2007 Jeep(R) Compass SAN DIEGO, July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a frenzy of flying sand, hundreds of consumers kicked-off the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition by scouring Imperial Beach (Calif.) in search of buried treasure during the "Jeep(R) Come and Dig It" event. After sifting through the sand, finding nothing but summer accessories and beach gear, one lucky "gold digger," Chris Robinson, 26, San Diego, found the ultimate treasure, the key to an all-new 2007 Jeep Compass. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060721/DEF016-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060721/DEF016-b ) "I loved going to the beach when I was growing up and have never had so much fun playing in the sand," said Robinson. "I was in complete shock when I found the winning key! All I could think was 'I've got a new Jeep Compass!'" Robinson was chosen at random to compete in the "Jeep Come and Dig It" event from more than 3,000 entries received from around the country. Of those, 200 adventurous consumers were invited to Imperial Beach to participate in the modern day treasure hunt. Jeep is the title sponsor of this year's U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition. With more than 300,000 spectators annually, the three-day event includes amateur and professional sandcastle building competitions, fireworks displays, a parade and the "Jeep Come and Dig It" kick-off event, which is new this year. "As the sponsor of the sandcastle competition, Jeep wanted to bring an extra level of fun, freedom and adventure to Imperial Beach," said John Plecha, Director - Jeep Marketing & Global Communications. "As anticipation builds for Sunday's big event, we wanted to give consumers an opportunity to 'dig in' to the excitement and kick-off the weekend with a one-of-a-kind treasure hunt for an all-new Jeep Compass." The weekend of events continues on Saturday, July 22, with the Sandcastle Parade, Kids-N-Castles Competition and fireworks display, and culminates on Sunday, July 23, with the Masters and Amateurs Sandcastle Competition and Award Ceremony. About the Jeep Brand The Jeep brand's 65-year history of legendary capability has made it synonymous with freedom, adventure, mastery and authenticity. In 2006, the Jeep brand continues to deliver on its promise to provide rugged, versatile, innovative four-wheel drive vehicles with the recently introduced Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Wrangler 4-door Unlimited, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot. This expansion of the Jeep brand grows its showroom from three to seven sport utility vehicles following last year's introduction of the Jeep Commander. The other two Jeep vehicles are the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty. 2007 Jeep Compass The all-new 2007 Jeep Compass combines the packaging and functionality of a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with the performance, handling, fuel economy and price of a compact car or small pickup. With a starting U.S. MSRP of $15,985 (including destination charges), Compass is the Jeep brand's first front- wheel-drive-based product with a fully independent suspension for comfortable on-road ride and handling and fun-to-drive characterizes. Jeep Compass will be available in both front-and four-wheel drive, and will deliver best-in-class 4x4 fuel economy for the compact SUV segment. 2007 Jeep Patriot The all-new 2007 Jeep Patriot is a modern interpretation of traditional Jeep styling. Strong and capable, it is unmistakably Jeep, with traditional Jeep styling and best-in-class off-road capability. Jeep Patriot is rugged, exuding the attributes of mastery, authenticity, freedom and adventure, while also offering excellent fuel economy, interior flexibility and utility at a great value. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060721/DEF016-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060721/DEF016-b http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Chrysler Group CONTACT: Carrie McElwee, +1-248-512-2664, , Jodi Tinson, +1-248-512-2944, , both of Chrysler Group ; or Emily Kooistra, +1-312-464-1984, , for Chrysler Group Web site: http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/ http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/

Copyright