America's Car-Mart Slated for Inclusion in Russell 2000

    BENTONVILLE, Ark.--June 17, 2003--America's Car-Mart, Inc. today announced that it expects to join the Russell 3000(R) Index when the broad-based market Index is reconstituted on June 30, 2003, according to a preliminary list of additions issued by Frank Russell Company. Index membership will go into effect July 1, 2003, and will remain in place for one year. America's Car-Mart, Inc.'s membership in the Russell 3000(R) means automatic inclusion in the small-cap Russell 2000(R) Index.
    "We are pleased to qualify for inclusion in the Russell 2000(R) Index," stated T.J. "Skip" Falgout, III, Chief Executive Officer of America's Car-Mart. "Our market capitalization on the NASDAQ National Market has increased substantially over the last fiscal year (2003) and our current fiscal year (2004), which commenced May 1, 2003. We believe this growth in market capitalization is evidence of investor confidence in the historical and future growth and profitability of our company."
    Membership in Russell's 21 U.S. equity indexes is determined primarily by market capitalization rankings and style attributes. Russell indexes are widely used by managers of index funds and as benchmarks for both passive and active investment strategies. About $250 billion is invested in index funds based on Russell's indexes, and an additional $850 billion is benchmarked to them. Investment managers who oversee these funds purchase shares of member stocks according to each company's weighting in the particular index.
    Annual reconstitution of the Russell indexes captures the 3,000 largest U.S. stocks as of the end of May, ranking them by total market capitalization to create the Russell 3000(R). The largest 1,000 companies in the ranking comprise the Russell 1000(R) Index, while the remaining 2,000 companies become the widely used Russell 2000(R) Index.

    About Frank Russell Company

    Frank Russell Company, a global leader in multi-manager investment services, provides investment products and services in more than 35 countries. Russell manages $67 billion in assets and advises clients worldwide representing US $1.6 trillion. Founded in 1936, Russell is a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual and is headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, with additional offices in New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Auckland, and Tokyo. Additional information can be accessed on the Internet at www.russell.com.

    About America's Car-Mart

    America's Car-Mart operates 65 automotive dealerships in seven states and is the largest publicly held automotive retailer in the United States focused exclusively on the "Buy Here/Pay Here" segment of the used car market. The Company operates its dealerships primarily in small cities throughout the South-Central United States, selling quality used vehicles and providing financing for substantially all of its customers.

    Included herein are forward-looking statements, including statements with respect to growth and profitability. There are many factors that affect management's view about future growth and earnings. These factors involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from management's present view. All forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.