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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

5 March 1999

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., March 5 -- Vehicle production this week in
the U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 365,257 units,
down from the 373,770 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 3,160,589 vehicles, up 8.6 percent from like-1998's pace.
    In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 273,406 vehicles this
week, down 1.8 percent from the 278,410 cars and trucks built last week.  To
date, calendar 1999 U.S. vehicle output totals an estimated 2,321,677 units,
up 5.1 percent from the 2,210,022 vehicles built in like-1998.
    This week's Canadian vehicle production is estimated at 62,565, a
2.3 percent decrease from the 64,012 units assembled last week.  Estimated
calendar-1999 Canadian vehicle production now stands at 567,385 units, up 16.1
percent from the 488,905 vehicles produced in like-1998.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the U.S.,
General Motors Corp. accounted for 35.5 percent; Ford Motor Co., 29.7 percent;
Chrysler of DaimlerChrysler, 13.8 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc.,
5.0 percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.5 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc.,
2.8 percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 2.3 percent; AutoAlliance International
Inc., 1.4 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc., 1.5 percent; Mitsubishi Motor
Mfg. of America Inc., 1.0 percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. of DaimlerChrysler,
0.7 percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.4 percent; and other manufacturers,
2.4 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   118,384    125,066    109,167   1,003,649  1,011,242      -0.8
     Trucks 155,022    153,344    150,498   1,318,028  1,198,780       9.9
     TOTAL  273,406    278,410    259,665   2,321,677  2,210,022       5.1
    Canada
     Cars    33,701     33,182     33,156     306,764    269,732      13.7
     Trucks  28,864     30,830     25,517     260,621    219,173      18.9
     TOTAL   62,565     64,012     58,673     567,385    488,905      16.1
    Mexico
     Cars    19,541     21,259     17,159     180,516    142,548      26.6
     Trucks   9,745     10,089      8,837      91,011     68,980      31.9
     TOTAL   29,286     31,348     25,996     271,527    211,528      28.4
    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
     Cars   171,626    179,507    159,482   1,490,929  1,423,522       4.7
     Trucks 193,631    194,263    184,852   1,669,660  1,486,933      12.3
     GRAND  365,257    373,770    344,334   3,160,589  2,910,455       8.6
     TOTAL

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