---

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

18 December 1997

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 18 -- Vehicle production in the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico is expected to hit 354,613 units this week, including
174,641 cars and 179,972 trucks, according to Ward's Automotive Reports.
    With this week's estimates, calendar year North American output now totals
15,813,432, an increase of 2.9 percent from the 15,362,302 vehicles built in
like-1996.
    U.S. vehicle production is expected to hit 275,154 units, down 3.6 percent
from last week's total of 285,313.  To date, calendar 1997 U.S. vehicle output
totals an estimated 12,010,533 units, an increase of 2.3 percent from like-
1996.
    In Canada, automakers are expected to manufacture 55,177 vehicles this
week.  That's a drop of 7.0 percent from the 59,326 units built last week.
Estimated calendar year Canadian vehicle production now stands at 2,556,150,
up 5.9 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., 27.6
percent; Chrysler Corp., 15.8 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 4.8
percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.5 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.3
percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 3.0 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc.,
1.8 percent; Mitsubishi Motor Mfg. of America Inc., 1.3 percent; AutoAlliance
International Inc., 1.1 percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.5 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.
    Cars    130,420    131,709     124,084    5,884,748    6,038,968    -2.55
    Trucks  144,734    153,604     132,563    6,125,785    5,705,877     7.00
    TOTAL   275,154    285,313     256,647   12,010,533   11,744,845     2.26
    Canada
    Cars     28,632     32,378      27,034    1,364,022    1,276,866     6.83
    Trucks   26,545     26,948      20,203    1,192,128    1,137,201     5.00
    TOTAL    55,177     59,326      47,237    2,556,150    2,414,067     5.89
    Mexico
    Cars     15,589     15,723      13,911      778,315      798,415    -2.52
    Trucks    8,693      8,899       9,453      468,434      404,975    16.00
    TOTAL    24,282     24,622      23,364    1,246,749    1,203,390     3.60
    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
    Cars    174,641    179,810     165,029    8,027,085    8,114,249    -1.07
    Trucks  179,972    189,451     162,219    7,786,347    7,248,053     7.43
    GRAND   354,613    369,261     327,248   15,813,432   15,362,302     2.94
    TOTAL

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