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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

14 August 1998

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 14 -- Vehicle production in the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 330,531 units this week, an
increase of 11.5 percent from the 296,476 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
9,475,004 vehicles.  That is down 4.0 percent from like-1997's pace.
    In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 254,352 vehicles this
week, up 11.1 percent from the 228,844 cars and trucks built last week.  To
date, calendar 1998 U.S. vehicle output totals an estimated 7,120,242 units,
which is down 3.9 percent from the 7,409,374 vehicles built in like-1997.
    This week's Canadian vehicle production is estimated at 45,211 a
20.8 percent increase from the 37,430 units assembled a week ago.  Estimated
calendar-1998 Canadian vehicle production now stands at 1,520,662 units, off
8.1 percent from the 1,654,310 vehicles produced in like-1997.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the U.S.,
General Motors Corp. accounted for 37.0 percent; Ford Motor Co., 29.4 percent;
Chrysler Corp., 11.7 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 5.2 percent; Toyota
Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.9 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 2.8 percent; Nissan
Motor Mfg. Corp., 2.0 percent; AutoAlliance International Inc., 1.7 percent;
Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc., 1.7 percent; Mitsubishi Motor Mfg. of America
Inc., 1.3 percent;  Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., 0.6 percent; BMW of
North America Inc., 0.5 percent; and other manufacturers, 2.2 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    126,579    109,929    116,502   3,277,101   3,706,191   -11.6
    Trucks  127,773    118,915    117,356   3,843,141   3,703,183     3.8
    TOTAL   254,352    228,844    233,858   7,120,242   7,409,374    -3.9
    Canada
    Cars     29,872     24,541     23,067     851,002     898,826    -5.3
    Trucks   15,339     12,889     26,470     669,660     755,484   -11.4
    TOTAL    45,211     37,430     49,537   1,520,662   1,654,310    -8.1
    Mexico
    Cars     20,527     21,824     15,152     561,591     503,156    11.6
    Trucks   10,441      8,378      8,339     272,509     303,975   -10.4
    TOTAL    30,968     30,202     23,491     834,100     807,131     3.3

    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
    Cars    176,978    156,294    154,721   4,689,694   5,108,173    -8.2
    Trucks  153,553    140,182    152,165   4,785,310   4,762,642     0.5
    GRAND   330,531    296,476    306,886   9,475,004   9,870,815      -4
     TOTAL

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