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 (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 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.