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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

13 November 1997

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Nov. 13 -- Vehicle production in the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico is expected to total 350,353 units this week, including
175,185 cars and 175,168 trucks, according to Ward's Automotive Reports.
    With this week's production, estimated calendar year North American output
now stands at 14,141,268.  That's up 2.7 percent from the 13,763,513 vehicles
built in like-1996.
    U.S. vehicle production is expected to hit 274,146 units this week, a
decrease of 2.5 percent from last week's output of 281,115.  With this week's
estimate, calendar 1997 U.S. vehicle production totals 10,736,868 units.
That's up 1.9 percent from like-1996.
    In Canada, automakers this week will manufacture an estimated 51,683 cars
and trucks.  That's up 2.1 percent from the 50,623 units built last week.
Estimated calendar year Canadian vehicle production now stands at 2,282,023, a
jump of 6.5 percent from the year-ago pace.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the United
States, General Motors Corp. accounts for 36.3 percent; Ford Motor Co., 27.1
percent; Chrysler Corp., 15.3 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 5.6
percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.2 percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 3.1
percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 2.8 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive
Inc., 1.7 percent; Mitsubishi Motor Mfg. of America Inc., 1.4 percent;
AutoAlliance International Inc., 1.0 percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.4
percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., 0.3 percent; and other
manufacturers, 1.8 percent.


                        NORTH AMERICA FACTORY PRODUCTION
           This Week   Last Week  Same Week    To Date    To Date  Pct. Change
           Estimated    Revised   Last Year     1997      1996   1997 vs. 1996

    U.S.
    Cars    131,662     133,864    124,806   5,288,609    5,443,606   -2.85
    Trucks  142,484     147,251    121,043   5,448,259    5,094,356    7.00
    TOTAL   274,146     281,115    245,849  10,736,868   10,537,962    1.89
    Canada
    Cars     27,950      26,474     30,451   1,221,431    1,129,748    8.12
    Trucks   23,733      24,149     19,654   1,060,592    1,012,111    5.00
    TOTAL    51,683      50,623     50,105   2,282,023    2,141,859    6.54
    Mexico
    Cars     15,573      16,034     16,325     700,146      726,791   -3.67
    Trucks    8,951       8,951     10,027     422,231      356,901   18.00
    TOTAL    24,524      24,985     26,352   1,122,377    1,083,692    3.57
    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
    Cars    175,185     176,372    171,582   7,210,186    7,300,145   -1.23
    Trucks  175,168     180,351    150,724   6,931,082    6,463,368    7.24
    GRAND   350,353     356,723    322,306  14,141,268   13,763,513    2.74
    TOTAL

    Note: All figures include medium- and heavy-duty truck production.

SOURCE  Ward's Automotive Reports