Williams Controls to Appeal Nasdaq Ruling

    PORTLAND, Ore., May 7 Williams Controls, Inc.
announced today it will request a hearing to appeal a ruling
that the company received from the Nasdaq Stock Market indicating that the
company had failed to comply with certain requirements for continued listing
on the Nasdaq National Market and would be potentially delisted.  As a result
of this appeal, the company will continue to trade on Nasdaq until a future
hearing before its Listing Qualifications Panel.
    On April 30, 2001, Williams Controls received a Nasdaq Staff Determination
letter indicating that the company had failed to comply with the net tangible
assets requirement for continued listing as set forth in Nasdaq Marketplace
Rule 4450(a)(3), and that its common stock would be subject to delisting from
the Nasdaq National Market.  Had the company not appealed this determination,
the company's common stock would have been subject to a delisting action.
This deficiency was previously reported in the Williams Controls Form 10-Q for
the period ended December 31, 2000.
    Williams Controls President and CEO Thomas K. Ziegler stated, "We
announced this possible action by Nasdaq in our latest 10-Q, and this
determination letter from them is one more step in the review process.  While
there can be no assurance that the Panel will grant the company's request for
continued listing on the Nasdaq National Market, we will continue to pursue
all available means to maintain this listing, including our previously
announced sale of some or all of our operating subsidiaries, as part of our
plan to maintain compliance with Nasdaq listing rules, or we will
alternatively seek a possible listing on the Nasdaq Small Cap Market or on the
OTC Bulletin Board."
    While the hearing request has stayed the delisting process, the company's
common stock will be delisted from the National Market without further
notification if the Listing Qualifications Panel denies the company's appeal
of the determination.
    Williams Controls is a designer, manufacturer and integrator of sensors,
controls and communications systems for the transportation and communications
industries.  For more information, you can find Williams Controls on the
Internet at http://www.wmco.com .  The statements included in this news release
concerning predictions of economic performance and management's plans and
objectives constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended.  These
statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from the forward-looking statements.  Factors which could
cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to,
factors detailed in the Securities and Exchange Commission filings of the
company, economic downturns affecting the operations of the company or any of
its business operations, the continued availability of the financing to fund
the company's operations, the ability to obtain a favorable ruling from the
Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel and remain listed on the Nasdaq National
Market, or in the alternative, the ability of the company to obtain a listing
on the Small Cap Market, the OTC Bulletin Board or alternative market, and the
ability of the company or its investment banker to successfully identify and
reach an agreement on the sale of the company or its operating units.  The
forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of
the date hereof and the company disclaims any intent or obligation to update
these forward-looking statements.

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