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Mazda Announces December Sales; Mazda's Turnaround in North America Continues

5 January 1999

Mazda Announces December Sales; Mazda's Turnaround in North America Continues

    IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 5 -- Mazda North American Operations
(MNAO) reported U.S. sales of 16,114 units for the month of December, a
13.5 percent increase over the same period last year.  Continuing its
turnaround in North America, MNAO closed out 1998 with six straight months of
year-over-year sales gains.  Mazda is up 8.4 percent on a year-to-date basis
versus last year.
    The models with the greatest sales increases in December were the all-new
Miata roadster, up 156.7 percent over last December, the all-new 1999 Protege
compact sedan, which totaled 4,472 units, up 35.6 percent from last December
and the 626 sedan, which posted sales of 5,868 units, up 12.5 percent over
last December.
    Sales of the 1999 Millenia luxury sport sedan, with its pricing recently
reduced by up to $5,550, are expected to begin increasing in the first quarter
of 1999.  With an all-new 2000 MPV minivan arriving this fall, Mazda expects
sales of the new model to increase dramatically.
   Mazda North American Operations is responsible for the research and
development, sales and marketing, and customer parts and service support of
Mazda vehicles in the United States.  Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., MNAO
has approximately 800 dealerships nationwide and is owned by Mazda Motor
Corporation, Hiroshima, Japan.

                               MAZDA SALES FOR DECEMBER 1998
                       MONTH-TO-DATE                YEAR-TO-DATE
                     December  December          December December
                       1998      1997              1998     1997
    Total Vehicles
    CARS             12,983    11,163    +16.3%  198,926   184,139    +8.0%
    TRUCKS            3,131     3,032     +3.3%   41,620    37,701   +10.4%
    TOTAL            16,114    14,195    +13.5%  240,546   221,840    +8.4%

    Imported Vehicles
    CARS              7,107     5,862    +21.2%  107,336   104,793    +2.4%
    TOTAL             7,107     5,862    +21.2%  107,336   104,793    +2.4%

    U.S. Produced
     Vehicles
    CARS              5,876     5,301    +10.8%   91,590    79,346   +15.4%
    TRUCKS            3,131     3,032     +3.3%   41,620    37,701   +10.4%
    TOTAL             9,007     8,333     +8.1%  133,210   117,047   +13.8%


                       MONTH-TO-DATE                YEAR-TO-DATE
                     December  December          December  December
                       1998      1997              1998      1997
    Imported Vehicles
     By Model
    Passenger Cars
     Protege          4,472     3,298    +35.6%   58,349    53,930    +8.2%
     Millenia           577     1,096    -47.4%   16,717    18,020    -7.2%
     MPV                962     1,041     -7.6%   12,425    15,599   -20.3%
     Miata            1,096       427   +156.7%   19,843    17,218   +15.2%
     MX-3(a)              0         0        --        0         7       --
     RX-7(a)              0         0        --        2        12       --
     929(a)               0         0        --        0         7       --

    U.S. Produced
     Vehicles By
     Model
    Cars
     626              5,868     5,217    +12.5%   91,147    75,800   +20.2%
     MX-6(a)              8        84        --      443     3,546       --
    Trucks
     4x2              2,367     2,230     +6.1%   32,552    32,363    +0.6%
     4x4                764       802     -4.7%    9,068     5,334   +70.0%
     Navajo(a)            0         0        --        0         4       --

    (a) discontinued model