Some people place classified ads. Others trade-in their family vehicle. But what do two whacky families from the City of Angels and the City of Brotherly Love do to replace their cars? They bury them in the front yard! 

Yesterday, the Rosenfelds in Hacienda Heights (Los Angeles), California, and the Dooners in Morton (Philadelphia), Pennsylvania, buried their respective vehicles – a 1998 Toyota Camry and 1997 Mercury Mountaineer – tail-side-up in their front yards to show the world how much they want an all-new 2005 Dodge Magnum RT. As winners of Dodge’s Bury Your Car contest, the Rosenfelds and the Dooners bid farewell to their family vehicles in mock funerals complete with pallbearers, a procession and a tombstone bearing the fateful inscription, “Rust In Peace.” In June, Dodge asked entrants why they wanted to put their vehicles to rest and offered winners an all-new 2005 Dodge Magnum RT in exchange.

"The Dodge Magnum is the new shape of American muscle with its bold design, HEMI^® V-8 engine, rear-wheel drive and unique tailgate opening,” said George Murphy, Senior Vice President, Marketing – Chrysler Group. “As we demonstrated today, the Dodge Magnum will bury the competition with its exceptional combination of style, performance, handling and versatility. We are thrilled to present the Dooners and the Rosenfelds with the all-new 2005 Dodge Magnum RT, and allow them to experience the unparalleled power of the HEMI.”

About the Contest

For a one-week period in June, Dodge called upon Los Angeles County and Philadelphia County residents to take part in the ultimate swap and bury their vehicle in their front yard in exchange for an all-new 2005 Dodge Magnum RT with a 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine. Ads featured in the Los Angeles Times and Philadelphia Inquirer directed readers to a website where they could enter for a chance to win the new vehicle. The contest included submitting an essay on why the entrants believed they should win the chance to bury their vehicle in exchange for the new 2005 Dodge Magnum RT, as well as a series of questions about physical size/shape of residence, location of residential utilities, topography of entrant’s front yard and current car make/model. More than 250 Los Angeles County and 100 Philadelphia County residents entered.

About the Families

The Rosenfeld family includes Tim and Lorri and their two kids, Alison, 18, and Doug, 14.

“When I read about the Bury Your Car contest I was blown away,” said Tim Rosenfeld. “I’ve been a car enthusiast since the tender age of 13 and have not come across another American car that has the performance capabilities and pricing options of a Dodge. My wife and daughter love the Dodge Magnum’s styling, the space is fantastic for driving my son and his friends back and forth to baseball practice, and I personally can’t wait to test out that HEMI-powered engine!” 

The Dooner family includes Maureen and Bill and their two kids, Anna, 1, and Will, 5.

“When I read about the Bury Your Car contest, I thought it was the perfect gift for my husband – a fantastic dad,” said Maureen Dooner. “The Dodge Magnum allows my husband to drive around with the kids, while enjoying the sportiness and pep of a HEMI engine. We quickly kissed our old Mountaineer goodbye and grabbed our shovels. We can’t wait to pile our family into the Dodge Magnum and hit the road in style.” 

About Dodge Magnum

The Dodge Magnum is an all-new, boldly styled, muscular vehicle that delivers performance and smart space to fit today’s active lifestyle. The most powerful vehicle under $30,000 (US), the Dodge Magnum RT features a 340-horsepower HEMI V-8 engine and rear-wheel-drive architecture for a package with proportions unlike any other vehicle in the marketplace.

All Dodge Magnum RT models feature 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, dual exhaust, performance disc brakes, fog lamps, leather seats and a Boston Acoustic Premium Sound System with six-speaker 288-watt digital amplifier. All Dodge Magnum vehicles also feature an all-new short and long arm (SLA) front suspension system combined with a new five-link independent rear suspension to provide excellent handling and a comfortable ride.

The Dodge Magnum RT boasts smart space with an “extreme access” tailgate that opens to reveal a versatile cargo management system and exceptional storage capacity. The vehicle also features a towing capacity of 3,800 pounds when properly equipped.

Dodge Magnum is built at the DaimlerChrysler’s Brampton, Ont. (Canada), manufacturing plant.

The Dooner's family car meets with the same fate