Ward's Reports Estimated Production

1 November 1996

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Oct. 31 -- U.S. car and truck
manufacturers plan to build 233,314 vehicles this week, including
medium- and heavy-duty trucks, according to Ward's Automotive Reports.

This week's scheduled output is up 2.34 percent from last week's
revised count of 227,972 cars and trucks. The increase comes as
General Motors Corp. recovers from the Canadian Auto Workers strike
but is tempered by new GM shutdowns in labor disputes with the United
Auto Workers in the U.S.

Estimated calendar year U.S. car and truck output through the end of
this week stands at 10,062,689, a 1.71 percent decline from the
10,237,533 vehicles produced in same-period 1995.  In Canada,
automakers will assemble 40,151 vehicles this week, a decline of 4.9
percent from last week's actual count of 42,205. Much of GM Canada's
car production is shut down this week because of model changeovers and
lingering effects of the CAW strike. Partly because of the CAW strike,
estimated calendar-1996 car and truck output in Canada continues to
lag behind same-period 1995, 2,035,667 vs. 2,089,363.

Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the United
States, Ford Motor Co. accounts for 35.7 percent; GM, 25.8 percent;
Chrysler Corp., 14.0 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 6.7 percent;
Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 4.1 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.5
percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. U.S.A. Inc., 3.3 percent; Mitsubishi Motor
Mfg. of America Inc., 2.2 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc., 1.8
percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.6 percent; AutoAlliance
International Inc., 0.5 percent; and other manufacturers, 1.8 percent.

 NORTH AMERICA FACTORY PRODUCTION

 This Week  Last Week Same Week  To Date   To Date   Pct. Change
 Estimated   Revised  Last Year   1996      1995   1996 vs. 1995

 U.S.

 Cars        114,283  108,354     133,345   5,198,295   5,446,653   -4.56
 Trucks      119,031  119,618     123,250   4,864,394   4,790,880    1.53

 TOTAL       233,314  227,972     256,595  10,062,689  10,237,533   -1.71

 Canada

 Cars         18,594   19,531      27,624   1,075,029   1,161,631   -7.46
 Trucks       21,557   22,674      24,250     960,638     927,732    3.55

 TOTAL        40,151   42,205      51,874   2,035,667   2,089,363   -2.57

 U.S./Canada

 Cars        132,877  127,885     160,969   6,273,324   6,608,284   -5.07
 Trucks      140,588  142,292     147,500   5,825,032   5,718,612    1.86

 GRAND
 TOTAL       273,465  270,177     308,469  12,098,356  12,326,896   -1.85

 Note: All figures include medium- and heavy-duty truck production.

SOURCE Ward's Automotive

/CONTACT: Jeff Green of Ward's, 810-799-2636, or On The Web: www.wardsauto.com/