LAD Lithia Motors Inc

ABILENE, Texas, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) announced today the opening of its newest state of the art facility, Lithia Toyota of Abilene. The 38,000 square foot store, located at 4449 Southwest Drive, was built using Toyota's Image USA II design, incorporating customer-friendly features such as a lounge area and children's play zone, as well as energy efficient building standards and a modern architectural style. Lithia Chairman and CEO, Sid DeBoer, will be on-hand to accept the traditional Samurai sword presented by Toby Hynes, president of Gulf States Toyota. A Toyota tradition, the presentation of the Samurai sword honors new beginnings and represents the core values of loyalty, justice, pride, honor and respect. "The auto industry is constantly evolving," said Sid DeBoer, chairman and CEO of Lithia Motors. "This new store ensures Toyota of Abilene offers best- in-class customer and employee experiences well into the future. Texas is an important market for both Lithia and Gulf States Toyota, so making the investment was an easy decision." "We have been proud partners with Lithia for more than 30 years and look forward to our continued efforts as we work together to expand Toyota's presence, future growth and success," Hynes said. "Lithia's desire to provide first class amenities and outstanding customer service to Toyota customers is why we have been partners for so long." "The design of the store shows both the vision of the Toyota Image II USA design, and is also reflective of the spirit of the people it serves," said dealership manager Jack Money, Jr. "Simply put, this facility is a fun place to do business - for our customers and for our employees." About Lithia Lithia Motors, Inc. is a Fortune 700 and Russell 2000 Company. Lithia sells 30 brands of new and all brands of used vehicles at 109 stores which are located in 46 markets within 15 states. Internet sales are centralized at http://www.lithia.com/, or through the recently launched http://www.l2.com/. Lithia also sells used vehicles; arranges finance, warranty, and credit insurance contracts; and provides vehicle parts, maintenance, and repair services at all of its locations. Lithia retailed 109,648 new and used vehicles and had $3.17 billion in total revenue in 2006. Lithia is publicly traded (NYSE:LAD) and is available on the web at http://www.lithia.com/. About Gulf States Toyota: Gulf States Toyota is the independent distributor of Toyota vehicles in the five-state region, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. The company serves 148 Toyota dealers in 150 outlets in the region, providing marketing and management support as well as vehicle distribution. DATASOURCE: Lithia Motors, Inc. CONTACT: Robert Sacks, Lithia Motors, +1-541-770-7195, ; Anne Cable, Liebler!MacDonald, +1-248-233-8097, ; or Jen Rome, Hopkins PR for Gulf States Toyota, +1-214-828-0066 x 109 Web site: http://www.lithia.com/ http://www.l2.com/

Copyright