Dana Corporation provides complete all-wheel-drive system for new Holden Adventra

Frankfurt, Germany, September 10 -- Dana Corporation announced today that its Australian subsidiary has begun providing a front and rear chassis and drivetrain systems for the Cross Trac all-wheel-drive system on the new Holden Adventra crossover vehicle.

Dana engineers have been involved with Holden engineers since the early stages of vehicle development, creating a technologically advanced all-wheel drive system that offers enhanced drivability features.

According to Holden, the drivability offered by the Dana AWD system is one of the vehicle's key assets over traditional four-wheel-drive systems. The Adventra is Holden's first domestically designed and produced AWD production vehicle. It is calibrated for Australia's unique deformable track and road surfaces.

Its independent front suspension assembly, designed by Dana, is displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Dana's booth, B30, in Hall 6.1.

"The system solution we are providing to Holden represents a global engineering and design effort from Dana," said Joe Magliochetti, Dana chairman and CEO. "Because we are a globally focused and integrated supplier, we are able to bring skills, knowledge, and technology together from around the world to develop and manage the entire driveline development and manufacturing process for the customer."

Engineers at several Dana facilities around the world have been involved in the development of many aspects of the Adventra AWD vehicle, from CAD design to tooling and assembly process development. Specifically:

    - Engineers at Dana's Technical Research Park in Ottawa Lake, Mich.,  
      managed the CAD design of the engine cradle, front corner modules and  
      components, and independent rear modules and components;  
    - Engineers at the Dana facility in Hallam, Australia, managed the flow of  
      data between the customer in Australia and the designers in the United  
      States, as well as the rapid production of beta and gamma prototype  
      parts from suppliers throughout Australia and the Asia Pacific region;   
    - Dana engineers at the company's Fairfield, Australia, facility managed  
      the design and development of the front- and rear-drive axle assemblies,  
      as well as the supply of prototype parts;  
    - Engineers at Dana's facility in Cheltenham, Australia, managed the  
      tooling and assembly process development of the engine cradle pressings  
      and subframe assembly.

"The automotive industry in Australia is leading the world down the path of total systems integration, allowing suppliers to take the lead in product design and development," said Bill Carroll, president of Dana's Automotive Systems Group. "Dana's involvement with Holden from the initial stages of vehicle development right through to the development of the manufacturing processes is evidence of this emerging trend here, particularly with the traditional Big Three. By being involved early on, we are able to provide Holden with fully-assembled all-wheel-drive systems on a just-in-time basis."

To achieve this, Dana is providing Holden with its unique in-line vehicle system delivery process. Through this process, Dana essentially builds each all-wheel-drive system on-demand. Dana's Salisbury, Australia, facility receives a signal or order from the customer and then builds and delivers the independent rear assembly and front corner module assembly directly to the OE for insertion on the vehicle. Under this system, Dana's lead-time is approximately 70 minutes from signal to delivery.

Dana manufacturing facilities in Fairfield, Cheltenham, and Salisbury, Australia, are providing modules and components to Holden, which expects Adventra to be the first of many niche vehicles to utilize Cross Trac. This will allow Holden to further expand its role as a small-volume exporter to markets around the world.

Dana Corporation is a global leader in the design, engineering, and manufacture of value-added products and systems for automotive, commercial, and off-highway vehicle manufacturers and their related aftermarkets. The company employs approximately 60,000 people worldwide. Founded in 1904 and based in Toledo, Ohio, Dana operates hundreds of technology, manufacturing, and customer service facilities in 30 countries. The company reported sales of US$9.5 billion in 2002. Dana's Internet address is http://www.dana.com/ .

Jeff Cole of Dana Corporation, +1-419-535-4704, or jeff.cole@dana.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/226839.html/ Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990903/DANA AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, +1-888-776-6555 or +1-212-782-2840/