CHICAGO — He doesn't wear a cowboy hat and mask like early Chrysler pitchman the Lone Ranger.

Nor does he wear a tuxedo and tout the rich Corinthian leather like actor Ricardo Montalban.

And forget the expensive imported Burberry raincoat Lee Iacocca sported when imploring shoppers to "Buy American."

All he has is a bushy mustache, a pronounced accent and a wry sense of humor. And he uses those well as he runs a crossover vehicle into a crash barrier, expertly folds passenger seats into the floor of a mini-van and bounces a soccer ball off his melon.

That the results are funny and seemingly effective are a tribute to the Chrysler Group's latest spokesman: Dr. Dieter Zetsche. Yes, the man who runs corporate parent DaimlerChrysler.

Since July 1, Dr. Z, as he is now known, has joined such notables as former catcher and sportscaster Joe Garagiola, singers Tina Turner and Frank Sinatra and, of course, Montalban and Iacocca in pitching Chrysler products.

Zetsche, a German born in Istanbul and an engineer, was first brought in to straighten out the Chrysler Group. Now he's back to call attention to his handiwork in the fact that Chrysler shares engineering and technology expertise as well as parts and components with Mercedes-Benz, its partner since DaimlerBenz and Chrysler merged in 1998.

It's the partnership that has so far spawned the Crossfire roadster and coupe that are 39 percent Mercedes, and the 300C, which at 20 percent Mercedes is credited with reviving the Chrysler brand.

Perhaps more important, the ads are meant to put distance between Chrysler and General Motors and Ford, automakers struggling to make a profit in North America.

Zetsche, you see, is put off by media reports about the ailing domestic automakers that include Chrysler by inference.

Zetsche, who once crossed the Atlantic in a sailboat, speaks seven languages. (He does the new radio ads in English and Spanish.) It turns out he also speaks the language of success in the auto industry. He's behind not only the 300C but also the Dodge Magnum and Charger, two other smashes. And he resurrected the Hemi engine, a favorite of the performance crowd.

The big question, however, is the timing of the ad campaign, which was unveiled when Chrysler introduced a new employee pricing and money-back guarantee program this month.

"We've seen more people in the store, but is it Dieter or the pricing incentive?" asked Ray Riley of Knauz Chrysler in Lake Bluff, Ill.

"The message of Mercedes engineering in our products was long overdue, but that message dilutes our pricing message," said Dave Taylor, a Chrysler-Dodge dealer in Kankakee, Ill. "There's not as much traffic as people thought there would be. People are missing the pricing message with the Dr. Z thing"

Then there's the clouding effect of Zetsche's thick German accent. "I'm not sure everyone understands him," Taylor said.

And even if they do, Riley said, people want to know who he is and whether he's real. No matter. When Montalban promoted "rich Corinthian leather," no one could prove Corinthian leather was real or even existed, though it did sell cars.

"When you call him on his cell phone his message is, 'Sorry, I'm not available,' but the accent is part of the charm and appeal and shows this guy isn't faking it," said Jason Vines, head of public relations for Chrysler Group.

Before doing the ads, Chrysler's ad agency, BBDO in Detroit, tested consumers to learn how Zetsche would be received. As well as he was by Chrysler, it turns out.

"Our research showed that Dieter scored through the roof with consumers across America. He came across as compelling, charming, trustworthy, and all with a sense of humor," said Joe Garcia, president of BBDO in Detroit. "He's not a wooden head."

Yet, he's no Lee Iacocca — on the recognition scale, at least.

"Very few know who Zetsche is. We surveyed consumers when the ads started and most thought he was amusing and interesting, but that he was a character an ad agency made up. Many think of him as a standup comic," said Art Spinella, general manager of CNW Marketing Research.

Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda put the ad campaign into perspective. "We wanted to have some fun. People must have a positive attitude toward your product before they consider your product."

So if Dr. Z has to bounce a soccer ball off his skull, it's just a heads-up way to score a sale.