BMW and eBAY Team Up for Charity Auction of the First Customer-Delivered X5
All Sale Proceeds to Benefit The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
WOODCLIFF LAKE, New Jersey, October 28, 1999— BMW and eBay® plan to give philanthropically minded consumers the opportunity to make a donation and to purchase one new X5 Sports Activity Vehicle before it is available to the general public.
BMW of North America, Inc., and eBay, Inc., the world's leading person-to-person online trading community, have teamed up to offer the first customer-delivered X5 Sports Activity Vehicle through an online auction at www.ebay.com Oct. 29 – Nov. 7. The vehicle will be delivered through an authorized BMW SAV Center and all proceeds from the auction will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
The auction is BMW's final event of the year to support the Komen Foundation. During the last three years, BMW has donated more than $3 million to Komen through its grass-roots programs. The Ultimate Drive invites BMW customers and the general public to test specially badged BMWs. For every mile that is "test driven" during these events, BMW donates $1 to the Komen Foundation.
The first customer-delivered X5 will have a Titanium Silver Metallic exterior and come equipped with Sport and Activity packages, the brand's state-of-the-art navigation system and a moonroof. The suggested retail price of the vehicle as equipped is $57,105 (including delivery and handling). While it is a completely new type of BMW, the X5 is characterized by the well-known features typical of the BMW experience, such as its Head Protection System, Dynamic Stability Control and exceptional handling.
However, this is the first truck from BMW, and the vehicle's dimensions, flexibility and all-wheel-drive capability clearly separate the X5 from anything the German manufacturer has ever brought to market. The X5 represents a technological evolution for the BMW marque and - with its agility, responsiveness and state-of-the art safety systems - creates an entirely unique driving experience in the segment. The 2000 BMW X5 4.4i will have a manufacturer's suggested retail price, including shipping and handling, of $49,970.
As an added bonus, BMW will fly the winning bidder to its new, state-of-the-art Performance Center in Spartanburg, S.C. There, a BMW specialist will provide a thorough introduction to the X5; a tour of the nearby manufacturing facility, where the X5 will be built exclusively; and time to explore the BMW Zentrum, a museum dedicated to more than 75 years of BMW's history.
The thrill continues when BMW professional drivers also give the winning bidder specialized driving instruction on the Performance Center's 1.7-mile paved driving skills course. Configured into one of 35 variations, the driving skills course simulates everyday driving conditions. There is also a 300-foot diameter smooth concrete skid pad that can be made as slick as black ice to allow the winning bidder to test the limits of the X5's adhesion and handling systems, including ABS brakes, All Season Traction and Dynamic Stability Control.
The winning bidder will also get special instruction on BMW's "other roads" course which simulates poor unpaved road conditions, including bridge crossings, steep hills and water crossings. The winning bidder will be challenged to use mental and physical reflexes to maneuver this perfectly balanced vehicle on a "teeter-totter" balance bridge.
BMW will arrange for delivery of the X5 through an authorized Sports Activity Vehicle retailer to the winning bidder after the trip to the Performance Center.
"With its legendary BMW performance, styling, luxury and technology, the X5 is a joy to drive on any road for any reason," said Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO of the BMW (US) Holding Corp. "We're thrilled to be auctioning the first customer-delivered X5 online and donating the proceeds to the Komen Foundation."
"We're excited to work with BMW of North America to make the first customer-delivered X5 available to the eBay community while uniting people to get involved in charitable giving," said Simon Rothman, vice president and general manager of eBay Automotive.
For further details on this charity auction, visit www.ebay.com or www.bmwusa.com.
About eBay
eBay (http://www.ebay.com/), the world's personal trading community™, pioneered person-to-person online trading. Founded in 1995, eBay has developed an efficient and entertaining trading site on the Web that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. eBay has more than 5.6 million registered users. Currently, there are more than 3.0 million items listed for sale. More than 300,000 items are added daily in more than 2,000 categories, including: antiques; books, movies and music; coins and stamps; collectibles; computers; dolls and figures; jewelry and gemstones; photo and electronics; pottery and glass; sports memorabilia; and toys.
eBay launched its automotive category in August 1999, where people can buy and sell collector cars, general cars and any related items. On a daily basis, eBay has over 2,000 cars, 10,000 automotive parts, and 7,000 motorcycles for auction. Visit the eBay automotive page at http://pages.ebay.com/auto-index.html.
BMW In America
BMW entered the U.S. market in 1975. Since then, the company has grown to include marketing, sales and financial service organizations in the United States; a South Carolina manufacturing operation; a design firm in California; a technology office in Palo Alto and various other operations throughout the country. BMW is represented in the U.S. through a network of more than 340 automobile and 160 motorcycle retailers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the Group's headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Information about BMW products is available to consumers via the World Wide Web on the BMW homepage. The address is: http://www.bmwusa.com.
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