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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

13 February 1998

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 12 -- Vehicle production in the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico is expected to hit 338,580 units this week, up 4.2 percent
from the 324,862 units built a week ago, according to Ward's Automotive
Reports.
    With this week's estimates, calendar year North American output now totals
1,879,252 cars and trucks, 7.7 percent behind like-1997's pace.
    In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 257,922 vehicles this
week, up 4.2 percent from the 247,524 cars and trucks built last week.  To
date, calendar 1998 U.S. vehicle output totals an estimated 1,433,569 units,
down 6.0 percent from the 1,524,498 vehicles built in like-1997.
   Canadian vehicle production should hit 56,615 vehicles this week, a drop of
0.4 percent from the 56,822 units assembled a week ago.  Estimated calendar
1998 Canadian vehicle production now stands at 313,975 units, 9.9 percent
below the 348,349 vehicles produced in like-1997.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the United
States, General Motors Corp. accounts for 33.3 percent; Ford Motor Co., 28.1
percent; Chrysler Corp., 16.6 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 5.2
percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.7 percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 3.3
percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.1 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive
Inc., 1.8 percent; Mitsubishi Motor Mfg. of America Inc., 1.2 percent;
AutoAlliance International Inc., 0.8 percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.5
percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. International 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. Change
           Estimated    Revised    Last Year    1998      1997   1998 vs. 1997

    U.S.
     Cars    115,570    112,288     125,463    667,925    739,252    -9.65
     Trucks  142,352    135,236     126,491    765,644    785,246    -2.00
     TOTAL   257,922    247,524     251,954  1,433,569  1,524,498    -5.96

     Canada
     Cars     30,757     30,556      31,132    173,038    189,939    -8.90
     Trucks   25,858     26,266      27,159    140,937    158,410   -11.00
     TOTAL    56,615     56,822      58,291    313,975    348,349    -9.87

     Mexico
     Cars     16,965     13,555      16,175     88,357     98,184   -10.01
     Trucks    7,078      6,961      10,277     43,351     63,791   -32.00
     TOTAL    24,043     20,516      26,452    131,708    161,975   -18.69

    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
     Cars    163,292    156,399     172,770    929,320  1,027,375    -9.54
     Trucks  175,288    168,463     163,927    949,932  1,007,447    -5.71
     GRAND   338,580    324,862     336,697  1,879,252  2,034,822    -7.65
     TOTAL

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

SOURCE  Ward's