Medium Truck ABS Ready to Roll Off Continental Teves Production Line

    MORGANTON, N.C., May 2 Continental Teves is preparing to
launch a medium duty truck version of its powerful and compact MK series of
four-wheel anti-lock brake systems (ABS) at the company's award-winning high
tech facility in Morganton, NC.

    Called the MK 50, the unit uses the very latest technology in automotive
electronics and was designed specifically for the growing medium duty truck
market (Class 2-7 trucks with GVW of 6,001 to 33,000).  It is the first ABS on
the market with traction control for commercial-sized, hydraulic brake trucks.
"We expect that the application of traction control will be well received by
customers of these vehicles, which are often operated on less than ideal
surfaces such as construction sites," said Phil Headley, chief engineer,
advanced technologies.

    The MK 50 was engineered at the Continental Teves technical centers in
Auburn Hills, Michigan and Frankfurt, Germany.  Development work for the
system was done at the company's proving ground located near Sault Ste Marie,
Michigan.

    The MK 50 adds to Continental's portfolio of ABS systems for passenger car
and light truck markets worldwide.  In 1995 the company introduced the high-
performance MK-20 ABS, an improved, compact modular system that allows
extension to several brake and stability functions.  In 2000 Continental
introduced the MK60, the world's lightest electronic brake system for
passenger cars.  Together, these three systems, MK-20, MK-50 and MK-60 span
the total range of all cars and light duty trucks.

    Continental Teves was one of the pioneers in anti-lock brake systems, as
it launched mass production of ABS in Germany for the European car market in
1984.  Production at the Morganton facility began in 1992, as concerns for
vehicle safety grew in this country and the popularity of ABS began its rapid
assent.  Today Morganton produces automotive electronic braking systems in a
clean-room environment and is a model of lean manufacturing.  Annual
production of more than 3 million units includes, ABS, TCS (Traction Control
Systems) and ESP (Electronic Stability Program) for a variety of vehicles and
manufacturers.

    The plant has been cited on numerous occasions by vehicle manufacturers
for its quality, reliability, and delivery performance.  In 2000, the plant
was named one of North America's 10 best plants by IndustryWeek magazine, a
leading manufacturing management magazine.