STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- PPG Industries' automotive refinish business has announced 12 finalists in the 2008 PPG Hot Wheels® Spectraflame® Paint Your Ride Contest. Contestants include custom painters, car builders and hot rod enthusiasts who have created original paint schemes for their vehicles using any of the 12 vibrant colors from the popular Vibrance Collection Hot Wheels® Spectraflame® paint line from PPG. The co-branded line features colors found on the Hot Wheels® line of die-cast toy vehicles from Mattel, Inc.

Finalists' vehicles will be exhibited in the PPG Show Truck area during the 11th Annual PPG Goodguys Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, July 11-13. While there, the 12 finalists will participate in a number of special activities, including a reception July 12 at which a panel of judges will announce the Paint Your Ride Contest Grand Prize winner. The panel includes bike builder Dave Perewitz of Perewitz Cycle Fabrication; Paul Stoll, PPG's custom painting trainer; Larry Wood, chief designer at Hot Wheels®; Brian Brennan, editorial director of Street Rodder; and Ed Capen, sponsorship sales director of Goodguys Rod & Custom Association.

The grand prize winner will be awarded an exclusive Hot Wheels® 1/18" scale model award trophy featuring their winning paint scheme. The scheme will also be reproduced on a future Hot Wheels® toy car to be introduced in 2009 by Mattel, Inc. In addition, the winning entry will be showcased in the PPG booth at the 2008 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas. The vehicle will also be displayed in full color on a 2009 PPG calendar along with other finalists and will appear in the PPG Repaint Reporter magazine.

Randy Cremeans, manager, collision segments, North America for PPG Automotive Refinish, said, "This contest has really created excitement within the restoration industry. Entrants came up with spectacular designs using the unique selection of colors available through the Vibrance Collection by PPG and the Hot Wheels® Spectraflame® paint line. It was difficult to choose the 12 finalists because there were so many amazing entries."

Eye-popping Hot Wheels® Spectraflame® colors are part of the array of custom finishes that can be found in the Vibrance Collection. The colors are: aqua, medium sapphire, lime gold, rich yellow gold, bright emerald, anti-freeze green, orange, bright red, Hot Wheels® blue, hot pink, light red, watermelon and purple.