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American Axle & Manufacturing Announces Joint Venture Agreement

19 October 1999

American Axle & Manufacturing Announces Joint Venture Agreement With Brazilian Machining and Assembly Operation

    DETROIT, Oct. 18 -- American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. announced 
that it has established a joint venture with Hubner Industria Mecanica Ltda. 
of Curitiba, Parana in Southern Brazil.
    Through the joint venture, a new company, AAM do Brasil Ltda. will conduct
the business of the former OEM operating unit of Hubner.  AAM do Brasil Ltda.
will be headquartered in Curitiba.
    The Hubner OEM operating unit machines forgings and driveline components
for automotive OEMs from around the world.  In addition to the OEM operation,
Hubner also operates an aftermarket operation, AutoLinea, that is not part of
the joint venture.
    Steven J. Proctor is the senior AAM executive appointed to operate AAM do
Brasil Ltda.  Proctor brings 25 years of global automotive experience in
manufacturing, sales, marketing, strategic planning, and program management to
this new assignment.  He has an office in the Curitiba facility.
    "AAM do Brasil gives AAM a manufacturing and operations presence in South
America and the ability to provide local products and services to current and
potential customers in that region of the world," said AAM Chairman, CEO &
President Richard E. Dauch.  "This is in line with AAM's goals to
strategically expand within the global marketplace, while increasing our
production capacity, technological capabilities and profitability."
    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 its 13 locations
in the United States (in Michigan, New York and Ohio), AAM also has offices
and facilities in Mexico, England, Scotland, Japan, and Germany, and, now, a
joint venture in Brazil.
    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 filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.