Aftermarket Technology Corp. Signs Agreement to Sell Distribution Group

    WESTMONT, Ill., Sept. 5 Aftermarket Technology Corp.
today announced that it has signed an agreement to sell its
Distribution Group to an affiliate of The Riverside Company, an investment
firm that also owns another transmission repair parts business,
Aceomatic-Recon.  The purchase price of $77 million is comprised of
$65 million in cash and $12 million of Series B preferred stock (with a
present value of approximately $8 million).  The cash proceeds from the sale
will be used by the Company to retire senior debt.
    The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, the buyer
obtaining necessary financing and the completion of environmental diligence,
is expected to close in October 2000.
    Mike DuBose, ATC Chairman, President and CEO said, "Consistent with our
recently announced decision to exit the Independent Aftermarket segment, the
agreement to sell the Distribution Group is clearly in the best interests of
our stockholders.  The new, streamlined and focused ATC will have a solid
financial foundation comprised of strong cash flows, decreased levels of debt,
increasingly strong customer relationships, improved margins and good growth
prospects."
    DuBose commented further, "On a going forward basis, the sale of the
Distribution Group allows ATC to pay down approximately $60 million in debt
and results in a projected tax benefit of approximately $45 million, both of
which will further enhance ATC's financial foundation.  In addition, we can
now focus our efforts on growing and expanding our core businesses, with the
opportunity to further enhance margins and continue to improve earnings
growth.  As we have previously reaffirmed, we expect to achieve EPS of
$1.25 from continuing operations for 2000."
    "We believe that the combination of the Distribution Group with
Aceomatic-Recon should result in a stronger, more focused transmission parts
distribution business that will benefit Distribution Group customers and
employees in the long term."
    ATC is headquartered in Westmont, Illinois.  The Company's continuing
operations include automotive drivetrain remanufacturing, third party
logistics and material recovery services.  ATC also remanufactures electronic
control modules, instrument and display clusters and radios.  ATC posted 1999
revenues from continuing operations of $328 million.
    Riverside, with U.S. offices in New York, Cleveland and San Francisco,
specializes in management and leveraged buyouts.  The Riverside Company
acquired Recon A/T Parts Corporation and Rambrook-Neel d.b.a. Aceomatic in
August 1998 to form a new company, Aceomatic-Recon, LLC.
    Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Aceomatic-Recon distributes a
full line of transmission repair parts including overhaul kits, clutch plates,
seals and gaskets, filters, torque converters and other hard parts. In
addition to its Pittsburgh headquarters and distribution facilities in
Pittsburgh and Simi Valley, Aceomatic-Recon has 11 branches located across the
country.  To learn more about the Riverside Company, visit the website at
http://www.riversidecompany.com .

    The preceding paragraphs contain statements that are not related to
historical results and are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking
statements include those that are predictive or express expectations, that
depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that concern future
financial performance (including future revenues, earnings or growth rates),
ongoing business strategies or prospects, or possible future Company actions.
Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because such
statements are based on current expectations, projections and assumptions
regarding future events that may not prove to be accurate.  Actual results may
differ materially from those projected or implied in the forward-looking
statements.  The factors that could cause actual results to differ are
discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1999 and other filings made by the Company with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.