A drawing Oct. 15 will determine the winner of the first Chevrolet Cruze built for sale to the public at General Motors Corp.'s Lordstown Complex, courtesy of the Tribune Chronicle and Diane Sauer Chevrolet.
In the process, the premium small car that means so much to the area and to GM will get exposure to a half-million subscribers in communities from New York to Florida to Michigan served by the Tribune Chronicle's parent company, Ogden Newspapers Inc.
''We know how important this car is to the Mahoning Valley, so we're using this opportunity to market it in as many as 40 markets across the country and give it as much exposure as possible,'' Tribune Chronicle Publisher Charles Jarvis said. ''We look at this as a chance to create some excitement for the car and the dealerships that sell them.''
The company publishes newspapers in New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, Hawaii, West Virginia and Ohio.
The purchase will maintain a tradition; the Tribune Chronicle bought the first car, a Chevrolet Impala, that Lordstown produced April 28, 1966. The newspaper in 2004 also gave away the first Chevrolet Cobalt small car available for sale. The Cruze is replacing the Cobalt.
Lordstown is scheduled to officially launch the Cruze Sept. 8. The car is aimed at customers who want the fuel economy offered by small cars but with the comfort and roominess of a midsize.
The sedan being given away by the Tribune Chronicle will have almost all options, Jarvis said. The car was ordered, but the color isn't set.
The car will be displayed at Diane Sauer's dealership, 700 Niles Road S.E., Warren.
Entry forms will be published in Diane Sauer Chevrolet advertisements in the Tribune Chronicle and in Chevrolet dealer advertisements in other participating Ogden newspapers today through Oct. 11.
Contestants should deposit the completed form at their participating Chevrolet dealership. The forms then will be delivered by overnight mail for an Oct. 15 drawing in Warren. The drawing will be supervised by a local accounting firm, Jarvis said.
Employees / agents or independent contractors of the Tribune Chronicle, Diane Sauer Chevrolet and immediate family members are not eligible to win.
The community of the winning entry will be announced at the drawing, but not the winner, Jarvis said. That thrill will come when the publisher of the local Ogden newspaper and owner of the local Chevrolet dealership knocks on someone's door to deliver the Cruze.