As Chrysler pulls the wraps of some new signage at the Chrysler world headquarters in Auburn Hills Michigan, employees are greeted to a First Day celebration on the front lawn by Tom LaSorda and new Chairman Bob Nardilli. That’s right, there is a new chief in town. In fact, there is a lot of new happenings at Chrysler these days as the automaker tries to reinvent itself under the new ownership of Cerebus Inc.

This morning’s festivities included vehicle displays and state of the union type speeches from LaSorda and Nardilli. Perhaps more important then the motivation of thousands of employees in attendance are the actual changes that have been announced.

First off, the brand is returning to it’s roots visual, by resurrecting the Pentastar that identified the company from 1962 until 9 years ago. The new Chrysler has a lot riding on the heritage of the old Chrysler and they are hoping this will bring on some fond memories from consumers.

It was announced yesterday that Nardilli, ex of Home Depot will take over as Chairman and CEO, while LaSorda will stay on board as Vice Chairman and President.

In keeping with the rebuilding the brand theme, a new ad campaign is being launched today. The New Chrysler: Get Ready for the Next Hundred Years ties in strongly with the recent news of a lifetime powertrain warranty.

These are obviously exciting days for anyone in the Chrysler world. There is little question that many consumers who might not have given Chrysler products a second glance will be making a trip to their local Chrysler showroom. With that warranty, why wouldn’t they?

There have been many Chrysler press releases over the past few days. The following one gives all the details of today’s festivities in Auburn Hills.

The New Chrysler Marks ‘First Day’, Looks to the Future

* Pentastar returns as corporate symbol
* Ad campaign heralds ‘The Next Hundred Years’
* Employees gather to celebrate outside corporate headquarters and at facilities around the world

Auburn Hills, Mich., Aug 6, 2007 - The New Chrysler marked the “First Day” of a new era today by bringing back its Pentastar corporate logo, announcing a new corporate advertising campaign and staging a celebratory rally for thousands of employees on the lawn outside its company headquarters. The “First Day” events follow the August 3 contract signing under which New York-based Cerberus Capital Management assumed majority ownership of the company, with former owner DaimlerChrysler AG maintaining a significant minority stake.

In an address to employees around the world, Chrysler Chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli and Chrysler Vice Chairman and President Tom LaSorda outlined the strong suits of The New Chrysler as a blend of longstanding traits and a willingness to embrace new processes to thrive in today’s ultra-competitive marketplace. The new management team of Nardelli and LaSorda was announced earlier today.

The New Chrysler is breaking ground as the first major North American auto manufacturer to become privately owned in more than half a century. Both executives pointed out that a key benefit of going private is that it would allow The New Chrysler to strengthen its focus on long-term success rather than pursuing the short-term expectations of capital markets.

Nardelli and LaSorda also acknowledged the need to continue to build relationships with important stakeholders including employees, dealers, suppliers, government and community officials. LaSorda added that the Company will continue its long tradition of community support through efforts such as the United Way and the newly renamed philanthropic arm, the Chrysler Foundation.

Pentastar Returns
Following a nine-year hiatus, the Pentastar is back as the corporate mark for The New Chrysler. First used as a logo in 1962, the five-pointed star within a pentagram returns with a bold, three-dimensional update. The freshened design communicates The New Chrysler’s pride in its heritage even as it looks to the future with renewed confidence.

The symbol will be used on buildings, signage and corporate stationery. Even during the past nine years, the logo has continued to adorn the company’s headquarters.

National Corporate Campaign
A new national U.S. advertising campaign will launch on August 6 reflecting the company’s heritage of product innovations and leadership and points to the future with the theme, “The New Chrysler: Get Ready for the Next Hundred Years.”

The campaign includes print, Internet and radio ads that introduce The New Chrysler company name to the public and feature the return of the Pentastar as corporate logo. The advertising conveys pride in the product milestones and innovations that have distinguished the company while also communicating a commitment to continue building great vehicles. In addition, the advertising highlights the current products from the Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge brands, as well as quality, environmental accomplishments and the company’s recently announced Lifetime Powertrain Limited Warranty.

The New Chrysler corporate advertising campaign will run in the United States through the end of August and some campaign elements also will be used in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. In addition, the Company’s history of innovation is reinforced on The New Chrysler corporate site – www.ChryslerLLC.com.

Employees Celebrate
At the Auburn Hills headquarters of The New Chrysler, employees gathered on the lawn to celebrate a new beginning as a privately held company. The rally was broadcast to facilities around the world, many of which celebrated the day with local festivities.

The “First Day” events in Auburn Hills ended with Nardelli and LaSorda – joined by UAW President Ron Gettelfinger – flipping an oversize switch that set off fireworks and amplified the Pentastar corporate logo on top of the company’s headquarters.

The festivities included a display of 11 current and soon-to-be-launched vehicles such as the all-new 2008 minivans and the unveiling of a large banner on the headquarters that reads, “The New Chrysler: Get Ready for the Next 100 Years!” Project Bandaloop, an aerial dance group, performed on the 15-story headquarters building.

Nardelli told the gathered employees, “Working together, I am confident that we can continue the momentum of Chrysler’s recovery and reestablishing this great American icon on a path for global growth and competitiveness.”

He added, “With a laser focus on the demands of today’s marketplace and our evolving customer base, not only in America but around the world, we will deliver products with the fit, finish, efficiency, safety and style that people desire.”