Jeep(R) in the Movies is Now Playing at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 19, 2009 -- The Walter P. Chrysler Museum, in Auburn Hills, Mich., is spotlighting Jeep(R) in the Movies featuring two celebrated vehicles: the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon featured in Paramount Pictures', Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life and the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited that co-starred in the Paramount release, Sahara.

Running through July 27, Jeep in the Movies kicks off the Unique Vehicle Pairs Spotlight series of production and concept duos that will be temporarily exhibited on the Museum's second level.

The 2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon - dubbed the "Tomb Raider Jeep" - was the first customized model to appear in a feature film. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life is based on the extreme adventures of virtual game heroine Lara Croft, played by Angelina Jolie.

In The Cradle of Life, British archaeologist Croft teams up with former Marine turned mercenary Terry Sheridan (played by Gerard Butler) to find Pandora's Box, the object from ancient legends containing one of the deadliest plagues on Earth. The key to finding the Box - before the evil Nobel Prize-winning scientist Jonathan Reiss (played by Ciaran Hinds) does - is hidden in the mysterious Cradle of Life, a magical luminous orb.

In one dramatic scene, Croft parachutes into the back of the "Tomb Raider Jeep."

Visitors will get a close look at such vehicle modifications as a roll cage with grab bars, a skid plate with simulated HID lighting and an interior with specially designed gauges, shifters, instrument panel, console and door trim. The vehicle also features a host of aftermarket components such as bumpers, wheels with bead locks, suspension lift and riveted fender flares.

The 2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - dubbed the "Sahara Jeep" - co-starred with Matthew McConaughey in Sahara, transporting him through some of the most dangerous regions of the world as master explorer and adventurer Dirk Pitt. Embarking on a hunt for Confederate gold and treasure through West Africa, Pitt searches for what locals call the "Ship of Death," a long lost Civil War battleship that protects a secret cargo. Actors Penelope Cruz (as a U.N. scientist searching for a cure to an epidemic that is killing thousands of Africans) and Steve Zahn (as Pitt's adventurous buddy) team up with McConaughey and the famous Jeep to escape from a ruthless dictator who is also pursuing the treasure and attempting to sabotage Cruz's efforts to find a cure.

Paramount Pictures altered the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited to make it look like it had spent several years in the service of the dictator's army.

Visitors will see the "Sahara Jeep's" unique exterior and interior cues, including a chrome grille, accent-colored fender flares, 30-inch Moab Wheels with accent colors, exterior Sahara badge and a premium two-tone seat. The vehicle also features Mopar(R) components, including taillamp guards and a unique khaki-colored spare tire cover.

Following Jeep in the Movies, the Unique Vehicle Pairs Spotlight series will continue with:

  --  Fancy Cruisers - July 27 - Sept. 14: Chrysler PT Panel and California
      Cruiser concepts
  --  Future Off-Roaders - Sept. 14 - Nov. 9: 1998 Jeep Jeepster and 2001
      Willys II concepts
  --  Big Toys - Nov. 9 - Jan. 11, 2010: Plymouth Expresso and Slingshot
      concepts
  --  Muscle Machines - Jan. 11 - Mar. 15, 2010: Dodge Copperhead and
      Sidewinder concepts

The Museum is located at the corner of Featherstone and Squirrel Rds., in Auburn Hills, at the southeast corner of the Chrysler complex, located at exit 78 off I-75.

The Museum is open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday and noon - 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $4 for children ages 6 - 12. Children five and under are admitted free.