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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

9 April 1999

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 9 -- Vehicle production this week in
the U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 329,416 units -- a
shortened work week for only some manufacturers -- up from the 290,633 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 4,919,321 vehicles, up 6.9 percent from like-1998's pace.
    In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 240,675 vehicles this
week, up 8.9 percent from the 221,056 cars and trucks built last week.  To
date, calendar 1999 U.S. vehicle output totals an estimated 3,624,235 units,
up 4.0 percent from the 3,484,946 vehicles built in like-1998.
    This week's Canadian vehicle production is estimated at 54,657, a 6.4
percent increase from the 51,353 units assembled last week.  Estimated
calendar-1999 Canadian vehicle production now stands at 872,553 units, up 13.3
percent from the 770,085 vehicles produced in like-1998.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the U.S.,
General Motors Corp. accounted for 34.1 percent; Ford Motor Co., 28.1 percent;
Chrysler of DaimlerChrysler, 13.2 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 6.2
percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 4.6 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.2
percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 2.6 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc.,
1.7 percent; AutoAlliance International Inc., 1.3 percent; Mitsubishi Motor
Mfg. of America Inc., 1.2 percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. of DaimlerChrysler, 0.8
percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.4 percent; and other manufacturers, 2.6
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    108,377    98,024     93,998  1,573,887  1,588,338     -0.9
    Trucks  132,298   123,032    113,369  2,050,348  1,896,608      8.1
    TOTAL   240,675   221,056    207,367  3,624,235  3,484,946      4.0
    Canada
    Cars     29,398    27,259     23,912    465,942    422,804     10.2
    Trucks   25,259    24,094     21,038    406,611    347,281     17.1
    TOTAL    54,657    51,353     44,950    872,553    770,085     13.3
    Mexico
    Cars     22,599    12,363     14,878    283,882    229,566     23.7
    Trucks   11,485     5,861      9,660    138,651    115,256     20.3
    TOTAL    34,084    18,224     24,538    422,533    344,822     22.5
    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
    Cars    160,374   137,646    132,788  2,323,711  2,240,708      3.7
    Trucks  169,042   152,987    144,067  2,595,610  2,359,145     10.0
    GRAND   329,416   290,633    276,855  4,919,321  4,599,853      6.9
    TOTAL

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