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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

17 March 2000

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., March 17 Vehicle production this week
in the U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 382,736 units,
down from the 390,887 cars and trucks built last week, according to Ward's
Automotive Reports.
    Including this week's estimates, calendar year North American output now
totals 4,037,444 vehicles, up 3.2 percent from like-1999's pace.
    In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 280,912 vehicles this
week, a decrease of 1.9 percent from the 286,445 cars and trucks built last
week.  To date, calendar 2000 U.S. vehicle output totals an estimated
2,945,996 units, up 2.6 percent from the 2,872,482 vehicles built in
like-1999.
    This week's Canadian vehicle production is estimated at 67,915, a
1.0 percent decrease from the 68,594 units assembled last week.  Estimated
calendar-2000 Canadian vehicle production now stands at 722,780 units, up
3.0 percent from the 701,491 vehicles produced in like-1999.
     Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the U.S.,
General Motors Corp. accounted for 33.4 percent; Ford Motor Co., 28.7 percent;
Chrysler of DaimlerChrysler, 16.1 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 4.9
percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 4.4 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 2.5
percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 2.8 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc.,
1.6 percent; AutoAlliance International Inc., 0.9 percent; Mitsubishi Motor
Mfg. of America Inc., 1.3 percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. of DaimlerChrysler, 0.6
percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.5 percent; and other manufacturers, 2.3
percent.

                       NORTH AMERICA FACTORY PRODUCTION

            This Week  Last Week  Same Week   To Date    To Date  Pct. Change
            Estimated   Revised   Last Year    2000       1999   2000 vs. 1999
    U.S.
    Cars      117,321   122,667   125,546   1,248,307   1,244,354    0.3
    Trucks    163,591   163,778   153,316   1,697,689   1,628,128    4.3
    TOTAL     280,912   286,445   278,862   2,945,996   2,872,482    2.6
    Canada
    Cars       35,387    35,506    34,286     376,118     375,421    0.2
    Trucks     32,528    33,088    30,521     346,662     326,070    6.3
    TOTAL      67,915    68,594    64,807     722,780     701,491    3.0
    Mexico
    Cars       21,631    21,775    27,404     234,635     232,550    0.9
    Trucks     12,278    14,073     7,717     134,033     106,682   25.6
    TOTAL      33,909    35,848    35,121     368,668     339,232    8.7
    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
    Cars      174,339   179,948   187,236   1,859,060   1,852,325    0.4
    Trucks    208,397   210,939   191,554   2,178,384   2,060,880    5.7
    GRAND     382,736   390,887   378,790   4,037,444   3,913,205    3.2
    TOTAL

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