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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

11 December 1998

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 11 -- Vehicle production this week in
the U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 380,057 units, up
from the 372,663 cars and trucks built a week ago, according to Ward's
Automotive Reports.
    Including this week's estimates, calendar year North American output now
totals 15,332,436 vehicles, down 0.9 percent from like-1997's pace.
    In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 286,837 vehicles this week
up 1.8 percent from the 281,857 cars and trucks built last week.  To date,
calendar 1998 U.S. vehicle output totals an estimated 11,551,694 units, down
1.7 percent from the 11,747,593 vehicles built in like-1997.
    This week's Canadian vehicle production is estimated at 61,828, a
0.8 percent increase from the 61,314 units assembled a week ago.  Estimated
calendar-1998 Canadian vehicle production now stands at 2,466,998 units, off
1.2 percent from the 2,497,715 vehicles produced in like-1997.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the U.S.,
General Motors Corp. accounted for 36.3 percent; Ford Motor Co., 29.6 percent;
Chrysler of DaimlerChrysler, 12.9 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc.,
4.7 percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.5 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc.,
2.6 percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 2.4 percent; AutoAlliance International
Inc., 1.9 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc., 1.7 percent; Mitsubishi Motor
Mfg. of America Inc., 1.2 percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. of DaimlerChrysler,
0.6 percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.4 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    129,233    125,569    131,709   5,350,751    5,754,328    -7.0
    Trucks  157,604    156,288    154,059   6,200,943    5,993,265     3.5
    TOTAL   286,837    281,857    285,768  11,551,694   11,747,593    -1.7
    Canada
    Cars     36,128     34,748     32,378   1,426,419    1,335,390     6.8
    Trucks   25,700     26,566     26,818   1,040,579    1,162,325   -10.5
    TOTAL    61,828     61,314     59,196   2,466,998    2,497,715    -1.2
    Mexico
    Cars     20,761     19,573     15,723     882,029      762,726    15.6
    Trucks   10,631      9,919      8,899     431,715      459,741    -6.1
    TOTAL    31,392     29,492     24,622   1,313,744    1,222,467     7.5
    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
    Cars    186,122    179,890    179,810   7,659,199    7,852,444    -2.5
    Trucks  193,935    192,773    189,776   7,673,237    7,615,331     0.8
    GRAND   380,057    372,663    369,586  15,332,436   15,467,775    -0.9
    TOTAL

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