Front panel operating apparatus and method

A front panel operating apparatus and method of a vehicle display device such as a car audio can include a main chassis (100) for accommodating an audio device, a front panel (125) provided in the front side of the main chassis (100) that opens or closes to allow access to a record medium for the audio device (102,103). The front panel (125) can have a display part in the front side thereof. A supporting panel (118) can be hinge-coupled (140,141) to a lower side of the front panel (125) to move a lower end of the front panel (125) forward and backward by sliding from a prescribed location of the main chassis (100) in forward and backward directions of the main chassis. A vertical guide can be formed at the front side of the main chassis, and a protrusion formed on the front panel (125) can be inserted into the vertical guide for controllably moving an upper portion of the front panel (125) up and down.