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American Axle & Manufacturing Announces New Steering Linkage Business with Nissan

19 July 1999

American Axle & Manufacturing Announces New Steering Linkage Business with Nissan

    DETROIT, July 19 -- American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
has announced that it will begin production next month of steering
linkages for a new customer, Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corporation, for its
Frontier pick-up truck for the 2000 model year.
    The linkages will be manufactured at American Axle & Manufacturing's
(AAM's) Buffalo Gear & Axle Plant in New York and shipped to Nissan's Smyrna,
Tennessee assembly plant.  Forged components for the linkages will be provided
to AAM's Buffalo facility by AAM's nearby Tonawanda Forge Plant.  Linkage
volume will exceed 100,000 units annually.  Details of the sales contract were
not disclosed.
    David C. Dauch, vice president, Sales, Marketing & Capacity Planning, said
AAM's advanced product, process and systems technology, along with its proven
performance in delivery, quality, and cost competitiveness will add value to
Nissan's product programs.
    "Knowing Nissan's reputation for innovation and excellence, we are proud
to have been selected for this business," he said.  "Winning this contract was
a direct result of our sales, engineering and manufacturing teams' ability to
provide an advanced low-mass/low-lash design combined with manufacturing
excellence."
    "This new business is in line with AAM's objective of diversifying its
customer base," added Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer
B. G. Mathis.  "It demonstrates AAM's ability to meet the needs of global
customers from our high-performance manufacturing facilities."
    Within the last 10 months, AAM has diversified its customer base
significantly, through acquisitions as well as conquest business and the
aggressive pursuit of contracts with new customers.  It has also expanded
globally -- from five manufacturing facilities, a Technical Center, and an
Asia Pacific sales office just 10 months ago to 19 locations, including
16 manufacturing facilities, around the world today.

    AAM is a world leader in the manufacture, engineering and design of
driveline systems, chassis systems and forged products for trucks, buses,
sport utility vehicles, and passenger cars.  In addition to 13 locations in
the United States (in Michigan, Ohio and New York), AAM has offices and
facilities in Mexico, Japan, England, Germany, and Scotland.

    Certain statements contained in this press release which are not
historical facts contain forward-looking information with respect to the
Company's plans, projections or future performance, the occurrence of which
involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results
or plans to differ materially from those expected by the Company which include
risk factors described in the Company's prospectuses with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.