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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

30 October 1997

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Oct. 30 -- Vehicle production in the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico is expected to hit 347,269 units this week, including
167,071 cars and 180,198 trucks, according to Ward's Automotive Reports.
    With this week's production, estimated calendar year North American output
now totals 13,491,689.  That's an increase of 2.1 percent compared to the
13,215,772 vehicles built in like-1996.
    U.S. vehicle production is expected to total 274,778 units this week, up
2.0 percent from last week's output of 269,273.  Calendar 1997 U.S. vehicle
production now stands at 10,187,220.  That's up 1.2 percent from 1ike-1996
levels.
    In Canada, automakers will manufacture 50,524 cars and trucks this week.
That's a drop of 1.9 percent from the 51,512 units built last week.  Estimated
calendar year Canadian vehicle production now stands at 2,184,705, up
7.1 percent from the year-ago pace.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the United
States, General Motors Corp. accounts for 35.2 percent; Ford Motor Co.,
28.8 percent; Chrysler Corp., 15.7 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc.,
4.8 percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.3 percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp.,
3.2 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 2.7 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive
Inc., 1.7 percent; Mitsubishi Motor Mfg. of America Inc., 1.4 percent;
AutoAlliance International Inc., 0.8 percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.4
percent; and other manufacturers, 2.0 percent.

                        NORTH AMERICA FACTORY PRODUCTION
             This Week  Last Week Same Week     To Date    To Date   Pct.
             Estimated   Revised  Last Year       1997        1996   Change
                                                                     1997 vs.
                                                                     1996
    U.S.
    Cars       128,176   127,319   109,980   5,028,557   5,212,067   -3.52
    Trucks     146,602   141,954   111,566   5,158,663   4,856,910    6.21
    TOTAL      274,778   269,273   221,546  10,187,220  10,068,977    1.17

    Canada
    Cars        26,919    27,079    16,658   1,169,387   1,073,093    8.97
    Trucks      23,605    24,433    26,900   1,015,318     965,981    5.11
    TOTAL       50,524    51,512    43,558   2,184,705   2,039,074    7.14
    Mexico

    Cars        11,796    16,702    16,608     686,564     690,380   -1.31
    Trucks       9,991     9,740     7,691     433,200     417.341    5.88

    TOTAL
     U.S.\Canada\
     Mexico     21,967    26,442    24,299   1,119,764   1,107,721    1.09
    Cars       171,524   170,964   143,300   6,872,532   6,958,932   -1.24
    Trucks     180,320   176,245   146,428   6,597,190   6,232,541    5.85
    GRAND
     TOTAL     351,844   347,209   289,728  13,469,722  13,191,473    2.11

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

SOURCE  Ward's Automotive Reports