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Contact: Jason Farrell

480.845.5559

jfarrell@fender.com

FENDER^® & VOLKSWAGEN ANNOUNCE THE BEETLE FENDER EDITION

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (June 1, 2012) – Fender and Volkswagen (VW) are proud to announce the VW Beetle Fender Edition, which makes its world debut at the Leipzig International Auto Show. Based on the overwhelming response to the concept car displayed at the Frankfurt International Auto Show in 2011, Fender and VW have partnered to create the production version of the Beetle Fender Edition. Volkswagen’s iconic coupe is now not only fitted with the award-winning Fender^® Premium Audio system, but it also incorporates key attributes of the American music icon. This car exudes passion, attitude and creativity and is the first automobile whose foundation is The Spirit of Rock-N-Roll.  

The Beetle Fender Edition stands out with unique interior and exterior styling. Its distinctively painted dashboard features the quintessential sunburst color of Fender instruments, and the vehicle’s interior is accented with color-contrasting seams that complement the dash’s colors. Beetle Fender Edition vehicles equipped with the 200-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder TSI^© engine will receive seats with exclusive fabric inserts. Outside, all Beetle Fender Edition vehicles are painted in Deep Black Metallic and also feature brushed chrome exterior mirrors, 18-inch “Disc” aluminum-alloy wheels, Bi-Xenon headlights, and the famous Fender logo.

The Fender Premium Audio System debuted in the Jetta GLI, Passat and Beetle vehicles in the U.S., and is available in the Beetle globally. It includes nine speakers along with a 10-channel amplifier providing 400 Watts of system power. Using proprietary Panasonic^© speaker technology, the system cuts through noise and other distractions with front dual-voice coil speakers to create a soundstage closely akin to a true, live performance. The concert-quality audio won CNET.com’s “Best-sounding car stereo” award.

For decades, automotive enthusiasts have driven the world’s roads accompanied by the varied sounds of the music they love. It is exactly this natural combination of motoring and music that fuels the distinctive partnership between Fender and Volkswagen and has led to the remarkable Beetle Fender Edition vehicle.

The Beetle Fender Edition will first go on sale in Europe and will be available in the United States in the fall of 2012. Pricing will be announced at a later date.

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About Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen’s operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Beetle, Eos, Golf, Golf R, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan vehicles through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.

About Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) is a leading, global musical instruments company whose comprehensive portfolio of brands includes Fender^®, Squier^®, Guild^®, Tacoma^®, Gretsch^®, Jackson^®, Charvel^®, EVH^®, SWR^® and Groove Tubes^®, among others. Fender^® instruments include the Telecaster^®, Stratocaster^®, Precision Bass^® and Jazz Bass^® guitars. For more information, visit www.fender.com.

About Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America:

Based in Peachtree City, Georgia, and with Detroit area operations located in Southfield, MI, Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America is a division of Secaucus, New Jersey-based Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation, Ltd. (NYSE: PC) of Osaka, Japan, one of the world's leading developers and producers of innovative digital and other electronic products for consumer, Business, and industrial use. Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America also acts as the North American operating company of Panasonic Automotive Systems Company, which coordinates global automotive industry systems and components operations. For more information on Panasonic, visit www.panasonic.com.

“TSI”, “VW”, “Volkswagen”, all model names and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. “Fender” is a registered trademark of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. “Panasonic” is a registered trademark of Panasonic Corporation.