Mopar® Will Debut its New Team Mopar ‘Liquid Metal’ Paint Scheme for the 2008 Season

• Team Mopar® drivers Gary Scelzi, Allen Johnson and Samuel Hübinette will carry the new Mopar “Liquid Metal” paint scheme

Center Line, Mich. — Team Mopar® drivers Gary Scelzi, Allen Johnson and Samuel Hübinette will debut Mopar’s new “Liquid Metal” paint scheme on their HEMI®-powered Mopar race machines for the 2008 season. The new Mopar “Liquid Metal” design will serve as the official paint scheme for Mopar’s factory-backed efforts in the NHRA POWERade Funny Car and Pro Stock Series as well as the Formula Drift Series.

Scelzi’s Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car and Johnson’s Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T Pro Stock Car already turned heads with the new paint scheme at recent test sessions in preparation for the start of the NHRA season scheduled for Feb. 7–10, 2008 at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.

The Mopar “Liquid Metal” scheme was unveiled as a work-in-progress on Scelzi’s Mopar/Oakley Funny Car at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in October 2007. Designed by Competition Graphics® of Farmington Hills, Mich., the look was tweaked before the final version was delivered to the Mopar race teams.

The novel paint scheme has garnered early raves. Spy photos of Johnson’s Mopar/J&J Racing Pro Stock car with the Mopar “Liquid Metal” wrap were featured on the cover of the Jan. 18 issue of National Dragster. The drivers are also pleased with the innovative new motif.

“I think it’s probably the best paint scheme we’ve ever had,” said Johnson. “Judging by fan reaction on our Web site and National Dragster putting it on its cover, I think everyone feels the same way.”

“It’s definitely different,” said Scelzi. “Most of my professional career I had a red or silver car. This is the first time we’re going silver and blue and it’s pretty exciting. The ‘Liquid Metal’ is a whole different look for me. It reflects the speed and excitement that Mopar brings to our team and NHRA. And hopefully it will help bring us our fifth NHRA championship this year.”

“The Mopar ‘Liquid Metal’ design is a unique, modern look that has already been a hit judging from early reaction and press coverage. The new, cutting-edge design is indicative of Mopar’s endeavors to stand out from the crowd in our motorsports efforts,” said Rob Richard, Mopar’s Director of Global Parts, Sales and Service Marketing, Chrysler LLC.

Hübinette will fly the Mopar “Liquid Metal” colors on his Mopar drift car when he makes his 2008 Formula Drift debut in the season-opening Streets of the Long Beach event that is scheduled for April 12, 2008. Mopar’s factory-backed teams on the USAC Racing Series and SCORE Desert Series, led by Kasey Kahne Racing and Collins Motorsports respectively, will feature an updated version of the “Mopar Camo” scheme that was campaigned on Team Mopar’s race cars in 2007.

70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s – the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “Special Parts” for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Today, Chrysler LLC’s Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler Engineering standards.