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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

22 January 1999

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 22 -- Vehicle production this week in
the U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 330,484 units, up
from the 329,311 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 964,339 vehicles, up 9.2 percent from like-1998's pace.
    In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 229,774 vehicles this week
-- a short work week for many automakers due to the Martin Luther King Jr.
holiday -- down 4.8 percent from the 241,332 cars and trucks built last week.
To date, calendar 1999 U.S. vehicle output totals an estimated 685,140 units,
up 2.4 percent from the 669,054 vehicles built in like-1998.
    This week's Canadian vehicle production is estimated at 66,545, a 16.1
percent increase from the 57,302 units assembled last week.  Estimated
calendar-1999 Canadian vehicle production now stands at 181,065 units, up 26.0
percent from the 143,726 vehicles produced in like-1998.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the U.S.,
General Motors Corp. accounted for 33.8 percent; Ford Motor Co., 28.7 percent;
Chrysler of DaimlerChrysler, 14.4 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 5.9
percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 4.0 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 2.5
percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 2.1 percent; AutoAlliance International
Inc., 1.4; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc., 1.7 percent; Mitsubishi Motor Mfg. of
America Inc., 1.2 percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. of DaimlerChrysler, 0.7 percent;
BMW of North America Inc., 0.4 percent; and other manufacturers, 3.2 percent.

                       NORTH AMERICA FACTORY PRODUCTION

           This Week   Last Week   Same Week   To Date   To Date   Pct. Change
           Estimated   Revised     Last Year    1999      1998   1999 vs. 1998
    U.S.
     Cars    104,329    106,333     100,814    305,233   321,296       -5
     Trucks  125,445    134,999     112,676    379,907   347,758      9.2
     TOTAL   229,774    241,332     213,490    685,140   669,054      2.4
    Canada
     Cars     36,981     31,363      31,407    100,539    80,347     25.1
     Trucks   29,564     25,939      24,854     80,526    63,379     27.1
     TOTAL    66,545     57,302      56,261    181,065   143,726       26
    Mexico
     Cars     22,404     20,585      16,478     65,078    47,570     36.8
     Trucks   11,761     10,092       7,450     33,056    22,405     47.5
     TOTAL    34,165     30,677      23,928     98,134    69,975     40.2
    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
     Cars    163,714    158,281     148,699    470,850   449,213      4.8
     Trucks  166,770    171,030     144,980    493,489   433,542     13.8
     GRAND   330,484    329,311     293,679    964,339   882,755      9.2
     TOTAL

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