BMW GROUP DESIGNWORKSUSA RECREATES ICONIC 1951 CHAIR FOUND ON EBAY BY EMECO

Redesigned Classic to Debut at Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan in
April

Los Angeles, CA - February 25, 2005... BMW Group DesignworksUSA, the
California-based design studio, and aluminum chair company, Emeco have
revitalized an iconic Emeco chair popular in the 1950s that was rediscovered on
the auction website eBay. Designed by Adrian van Hooydonk, the updated '1951'
will debut at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, April 13 - April
19, 2005.

Emeco originally built the chair for US government hospitals in 1951. The
discovery on eBay of the original chair prompted Emeco CEO Gregg Buchbinder to
approach DesignworksUSA and Adrian van Hooydonk to redefine and reinterpret the
classic aluminum design for a new era.

Named a "Master of Design" by a prestigious US magazine in 2004, Adrian van
Hooydonk is currently the director of the BMW brand car design studio in
Munich, Germany, and served until recently as President of BMW Group
DesignworksUSA. The 40-year-old Netherlands-born van Hooydonk was responsible
for the design of the exterior of the Mini ACV30 concept car shown in Monte
Carlo in 1997 and at the Museum of Modern Art in 1999; the exterior of the BMW
Z9 Gran Turismo shown in Frankfurt in 1999; and the exterior design of the BMW
6 and 7 Series.

"I found it extremely rewarding to work closely with Emeco on the design of the
new '1951,' " said Mr. van Hooydonk. "Lines and surfaces were discussed at
length, as well as the "stance" of the new '1951,' which is a lot more dynamic
than the original. The use of new materials other than aluminum will allow
customers to add color to their Emeco. As in good car-design, these added
functional elements now come in a clean, simple and dynamic look that will
appeal to customers on not just a physical and intellectual level, but an
emotional level as well."

The '1951' is the first Emeco product that combines new materials for the seat
and back - technically molded ABS plastic - with classic aluminum
construction. The brushed/anodized aluminum frame supports the generous ABS
plastic seat and back and is available in five standard colors. The chairs
stack 6 high, affording easy storage and will be available for US$250 at Emeco
retailers. The redesigned '1951' chair joins award-winning work by Philippe
Starck and Frank Gehry.

"We appreciated the straightforwardness of the 50s' original, but agreed that
it needed reinterpretation and a fresher, more contemporary look," said Emeco's
Chairman and CEO Gregg Buchbinder. "That's DesignworksUSA's and Adrian's
expertise. Maintaining Emeco's DNA, they created a sleek interpretation of the
1951 piece that we believe will appeal to all lovers of classic design."

The chairs and stools carry Emeco's lifetime guarantee and are made in America
at the Hanover Pennsylvania facility. Their debut at the Salone Internazionale
del Mobile in Milan (Italy), the premiere international trade show featuring
the top contenders in home design and furnishings, represents the first time
they will be shown to the public.

Emeco
Emeco was founded in 1944 to make all-aluminum chairs for the US Navy. In
1998, Mr. Buchbinder purchased the company and began a friendship with the
renowned French architect, Philippe Starck, creating a series of products that
united Emeco's historic manufacturing capabilities with Mr. Starck's classic
designs for a new century. In 2000, Mr. Starck's 'Hudson' chair for Emeco won
the GOOD DESIGN Award and was inducted into the permanent design collection of
the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 2004, Emeco collaborated with the
American architect Frank Gehry on 'Superlight', a chair that utilizes
aluminum's ability to be both strong and flexible. Mr. Gehry's chair won
another GOOD DESIGN award in 2004 and was included in collections at the
Corcoran Gallery in Washington, DC and the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich.
Emeco has made over 1,000,000 Navy chairs since 1944, and now sells its
aluminum furniture in 29 countries. Information on company and products can be
found on the Internet at www.emeco.net.

BMW Group DesignworksUSA
DesignworksUSA is a premier international design consultancy headquartered in
Newbury Park, California with a branch office in Munich, Germany. Founded in
1972 by designer Charles Pelly, the company was acquired by the BMW Group in
1995, and covers four main areas: Product Development, Transportation Design,
Automotive Design and Advanced Communication. With a deep understanding of
future context, the DesignworksUSA studios bring the highest level of design
creativity, diversity and quality to a broad but select range of premium
products including cars, sports equipment, motorcycles, lifestyle products,
trains, fashion, airplanes and high-technology devices. The firm translates
consumer brand attitudes into strategic design visions and products. Its
website is www.designworksusa.com.

BMW Group In America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.
ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW
Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial
service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the ROLLS-ROYCE
brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a
technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the
country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's
global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all
Z4 Roadster and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization
is represented in the U.S. through networks of 340 BMW passenger car centers,
327 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 148 BMW motorcycle retailers, 80 MINI
passenger car dealers, and 25 ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding
Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America,
is

located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet
at:
www.bmwusa.com
www.bmwmotorradusa.com
www.miniusa.com
www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

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Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available
to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address:
www.press.bmwgroup.com.

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