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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

27 March 1998

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., March 26 -- Vehicle production in the
U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit 352,329 units this week, an
increase of less than 1 percent from the 350,865 cars and trucks built a week
ago, according to Ward's Automotive Reports.
    With this week's estimates, calendar year North American output now totals
3,945,343 vehicles.  That lags 2.9 percent behind like-1997's pace.
    In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 267,454 vehicles this
week, up slightly from the 265,981 cars and trucks built last week.  To date,
calendar 1998 U.S. vehicle output totals an estimated 2,999,551 units, a drop
of 2.2 percent from the 3,066,315 vehicles built in like-1997.
    Canadian vehicle production should hit 58,652 this week, down slightly
from the 59,167 units assembled a week ago.  Estimated calendar 1998 Canadian
vehicle production now stands at 662,764 units, off 3.4 percent from the
686,351 vehicles produced in like-1997.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the United
States, General Motors Corp. accounts for 32.5 percent; Ford Motor Co., 27.8
percent; Chrysler Corp., 17.3 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 5.5
percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 4.2 percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 3.1
percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 2.8 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive
Inc., 1.7 percent; Mitsubishi Motor Mfg. of America Inc., 1.1 percent;
AutoAlliance International Inc., 1.1 percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.5
percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., 0.5 percent; and other
manufacturers, 1.9 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    120,755   120,579    108,590    1,369,921  1,499,054     -8.61
     Trucks  146,699   145,402    100,484    1,629,630  1,567,261      4.00
     TOTAL   267,454   265,981    209,074    2,999,551  3,066,315     -2.18
    Canada
     Cars     32,079    32,686     24,065      366,744    373,582     -1.83
     Trucks   26,573    26,481     19,851      296,020    312,769     -5.00
     TOTAL    58,652    59,167     43,916      662,764    686,351     -3.44
    Mexico
     Cars     17,463    17,106     11,207      188,990    188,855      0.07
     Trucks    8,760     8,611      6,669       94,038    119,865    -22.00
     TOTAL    26,223    25,717     17,876      283,028    308,720     -8.32
    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
     Cars    170,297   170,371    143,862    1,925,655  2,061,491     -6.59
     Trucks  182,032   180,494    127,004    2,019,688  1,999,895      0.99
     GRAND   352,329   350,865    270,866    3,945,343  4,061,386     -2.86
     TOTAL

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

SOURCE  Ward's Automotive Reports