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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

29 January 1998

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 29 -- Vehicle production in the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico is expected to reach 338,877 units this week, an increase of
15.6 percent from a week ago, according to Ward's Automotive Reports.  The
substantial rise is due to one less day of U.S. production last week, as
plants closed for the Martin Luther King holiday Jan. 19.
    With this week's estimates, calendar year North American output now totals
1,224,471 cars and trucks, down 10.2 percent from the 1,362,873 vehicles built
in like-1997.
    In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 254,966 units this week,
up 20.0 percent from the 212,518 vehicles built last week.  To date, calendar
1998 U.S. vehicle output totals an estimated 925,674 units, down 9.1 percent
from like-1997's pace.
    Canadian vehicle production should hit 64,109 units this week, an increase
of 11.3 percent from the 57,595 built a week ago. Estimated calendar 1998
Canadian vehicle production now stands at 211,837, 9.5 percent below the
234,002 vehicles built in like-1997.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the United
States, General Motors Corp.  accounts for 32.5 percent; Ford Motor Co., 27.3
percent; Chrysler Corp., 17.3 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 5.3
percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 4.3 percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 3.3
percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.1 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive
Inc., 1.8 percent; Mitsubishi Motor Mfg. of America Inc., 1.2 percent;
AutoAlliance International Inc., 0.9 percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.5
percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., 0.4 percent; and other
manufacturers, 2.1 percent.


                        NORTH AMERICA FACTORY PRODUCTION
           This Week   Last Week Same Week  To Date   To Date  Pct.  Change
            Estimated  Revised   Last Year   1998      1997    1998 vs. 1997

    U.S.
      Cars   117,370   99,815    124,741    437,679   490,346    -10.74
      Trucks 137,596  112,703    130,948    487,995   527,747     -8.00
      TOTAL  254,966  212,518    255,689    925,674 1,018,093     -9.08
    Canada
      Cars    35,500   32,307     29,907    118,547   127,481     -7.01
      Trucks  28,609   25,288     25,214     93,290   106,521    -12.00
      TOTAL   64,109   57,595     55,121    211,837   234,002     -9.47
    Mexico
      Cars    12,374   15,552     16,018     57,158    66,838    -14.48
      Trucks   7,428    7,374     10,114     29,802    43,940    -32.00
      TOTAL   19,802   22,926     26,132     86,960   110,778    -21.50
    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
      Cars   165,244  147,674     170,666   613,384   684,665    -10.41
      Trucks 173,633  145,365     166,276   611,087   678,208     -9.90
      GRAND  338,877  293,039     336,942 1,224,471 1,362,873    -10.16
      TOTAL

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

SOURCE  Ward's Communications