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Dura and Excel Industries Announce Completion of Merger

24 March 1999

Dura Automotive Systems, Inc., and Excel Industries, Inc., Announce Completion of Merger; Dura Also Announces Completion of Adwest Automotive Acquisition

    MINNEAPOLIS, March 23 -- Dura Automotive Systems, Inc.
("Dura") and Excel Industries, Inc. ("Excel") ,
announced that their previously disclosed merger of the two companies was
completed today after receiving approval from their respective shareholders.
In addition, Dura announced completion of the acquisition of Adwest Automotive
Plc ("Adwest") (London Exchange: AWST).
    Excel has annual revenues of approximately $1.1 billion, of which
75 percent is derived from the automotive/light truck market and the remainder
from the recreational vehicle, mass transit and heavy truck markets.
Approximately 78 percent of Excel's revenues are generated in North America
and the remainder in Europe.  With operations headquartered in Indiana,
Excel's products for the light vehicle segment include plastic and metal
encapsulated window assemblies, door systems, seat systems and injection
molded plastic products.  Excel is also a leading supplier to the recreational
vehicle, mass transit and heavy truck markets and its products include
appliances such as water heaters, furnaces, stoves and ranges, mechanical
components and systems, modular doors and a variety of window assemblies.
Excel's customers include Ford, DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, Volkswagen
and BMW in the light vehicle segment and Fleetwood, Winnebago, Coachmen and
Navistar in the recreational vehicle, mass transit and heavy truck segments.
    Adwest generates annual revenues of approximately $400 million from its
operations located in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and the
United States.  Products include driver control mechanisms such as
gearshifters, park brakes, pedal boxes and jacks, as well as engine control
products, which includes engine thermostats and fuel filler caps.  Engine
control products represent approximately 20 percent of Adwest's total
revenues.  Customers include Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Peugeot,
Citroen, Renault, Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Volvo and Fiat.
    Dura Automotive Systems, Inc., is a leading designer and manufacturer of
driver control systems, engineered mechanisms and cable-related systems for
the global automotive industry.  The company's products include parking brake
systems, automotive cables, transmission shifter systems, latches, hinges,
underbody tire carriers, jacks, brake, clutch and accelerator pedals and other
mechanical assemblies.  The company's products are sold to major North
American original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including Ford, General
Motors and DaimlerChrysler, as well as Japanese OEMs, including Toyota and
Honda.  The company's European and Latin American facilities support Ford,
General Motors, Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, PSA (Peugeot and Citroen) and
various other OEMs.  Dura's operating headquarters is in Rochester Hills,
Mich., and its corporate office is in Minneapolis, Minn.