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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

12 December 1997

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 11 -- Vehicle production in the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico is expected to hit 365,149 units this week, including
175,635 cars and 189,514 trucks, according to Ward's Automotive Reports.
    With this week's estimates, calendar year North American output now totals
15,454,707, an increase of 2.8 percent from the 15,035,054 vehicles built in
like-1996.
    U.S. vehicle production is expected to hit 280,812 units, a drop of 0.9
percent from last week's count of 283,251.  To date, calendar 1997 U.S.
vehicle output totals an estimated 11,730,878 units, 2.1 percent ahead of
like-1996.
    In Canada, automakers are expected to manufacture 59,531 vehicles this
week. That's up 7.6 percent from the 55,304 units built last week.  Estimated
calendar year Canadian vehicle production now stands at 2,501,178, an increase
of 5.7 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 35.1 percent; Ford Motor Co., 27.0
percent; Chrysler Corp., 17.2 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 4.8
percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.5 percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 3.0
percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 2.7 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive
Inc., 1.6 percent: Mitsubishi Motor Mfg. of America Inc., 1.4 percent;
AutoAlliance International Inc., 1.2 percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.4
percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., 0.4 percent; and other
manufacturers, 1.7 percent.

                       NORTH AMERICA FACTORY PRODUCTION
           This Week  Last Week Same Week  To Date     To Date    Pct. Change
           Estimated  Revised  Last Year     1997       1996     1997 vs. 1996
    U.S.                                                           YTD/Yr.Ago
     Cars   128,646   132,960   136,856   5,751,265   5,914,884      -2.77
     Trucks 152,166   150,291   139,228   5,979,613   5,573,314       7.00
     TOTAL  280,812   283,251   276,084  11,730,878  11,488,198       2.11
     Canada
     Cars    31,514    29,028    30,940   1,334,526   1,249,832       6.78
     Trucks  28,017    26,276    22,727   1,166,652   1,116,998       4.00
     TOTAL   59,531    55,304    53,667   2,501,178   2,366,830       5.68
     Mexico
     Cars    15,475    15,886    13,345     762,478     784,504      -2.81
     Trucks   9,331     9,386     9,032     460,173     395,522      16.00
     TOTAL   24,806    25,272    22,377   1,222,651   1,180,026       3.61

    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
     Cars   175,635   177,874   181,141   7,848,269   7,949,220      -1.27
     Trucks 189,514   185,953   170,987   7,606,438   7,085,834       7.35
     GRAND  365,149   363,827   352,128  15,454,707  15,035,054       2.79
     TOTAL

    Note: All figures include medium- and heavy-duty truck production.
SOURCE  Ward's Automotive Reports