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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

2 April 1999

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 1 -- Vehicle production this week in
the U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 300,062 units this
week -- a shortened work week for most manufacturers due to the Good Friday
holiday -- down from the 378,317 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 4,586,925 vehicles, up 6.1 percent from like-1998's pace.
    In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 222,438 vehicles this
week, down 21.6 percent from the 283,691 cars and trucks built last week.  To
date, calendar 1999 U.S. vehicle output totals an estimated 3,381,042 units,
up 3.2 percent from the 3,277,579 vehicles built in like-1998.
    This week's Canadian vehicle production is estimated at 51,378, a 21.6
percent decrease from the 65,552 units assembled last week.  Estimated
calendar-1999 Canadian vehicle production now stands at 819,421 units, up 13.0
percent from the 725,135 vehicles produced in like-1998.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the U.S.,
General Motors Corp. accounted for 33.7 percent; Ford Motor Co., 29.8 percent;
Chrysler of DaimlerChrysler, 15.2 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 4.9
percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 4.2 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 2.8
percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 1.9 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc.,
1.3 percent; AutoAlliance International Inc., 1.4 percent; Mitsubishi Motor
Mfg. of America Inc., 1.0 percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. of DaimlerChrysler, 0.9
percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.5 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     100,853    123,132   118,001   1,468,339  1,494,340    -1.7
     Trucks   121,585    160,559   150,740   1,912,703  1,783,239     7.3
     TOTAL    222,438    283,691   268,741   3,381,042  3,277,579     3.2
    Canada
     Cars      27,102     33,884    31,535     436,447    398,892     9.4
     Trucks    24,276     31,668    27,492     382,974    326,243    17.4
     TOTAL     51,378     65,552    59,027     819,421    725,135      13
    Mexico
     Cars      17,729     19,640    18,681     256,640    214,688    19.5
     Trucks     8,517      9,434     9,404     129,822    105,596    22.9
     TOTAL     26,246     29,074    28,085     386,462    320,284    20.7
    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
     Cars     145,684    176,656   168,217   2,161,426  2,107,920     2.5
     Trucks   154,378    201,661   187,636   2,425,499  2,215,078     9.5
     GRAND    300,062    378,317   355,853   4,586,925  4,322,998     6.1
     TOTAL

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