BASF In the Automotive Industry

5 June 2000

BASF In the Automotive Industry

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - Over the past three years, the North American automotive market has enjoyed a continuous, record-breaking performance. The amount of cars and trucks sold in this region reached 17.4 million units in 1997, only to climb even further to 19.1 million units in 1999. In this time span, production of light vehicles (consumer cars and trucks) in the three main automotive manufacturing nations in North America expanded as well:



 Country          1997 Production               1999 Production
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 United States    12.1 million units         13.0 million units
 Canada            2.6 million units          3.1 million units
 Mexico            1.3 million units          1.5 million units
 Total            16.0 million units         17.6 million units

    BASF has a vital, major presence in the worldwide automotive industry. In 1999, of the Euro 29.5 billion BASF Group achieved in sales, Euro 4.0 billion or 13 percent involved the automotive industry. BASF in North America has manufacturing and office locations strategically placed where its automotive customer base has operations, the most important being the Detroit, Michigan, area. The "Motor City" is home to the world headquarters of General Motors and Ford, as well as the North American arm of DaimlerChrysler, and a vast majority of their suppliers.

    BASF makes a wide range of products that appear in hundreds of automobile and transportation applications. All of the BASF Corporation operating divisions participate in some capacity in the automotive industry.

    The Coatings and Colorants division, based at the BASF Automotive Campus in Greater Detroit, makes the coating systems used to paint and protect automobiles. This division operates an automotive coatings manufacturing plant in Windsor, Ontario, which is across the river from downtown Detroit and is considered to be Canada's "Motor City."

    The Polymers division, which operates manufacturing sites in the Detroit area at Wyandotte and Livonia, supplies urethane foams and durable plastic materials used in various interior and exterior automotive applications.

    The Fiber Products division's nylon fiber is used in headliner cloth for American cars. Fiber Products' solution-dyed nylon carpet yarns offer durability, colorfastness and stain resistance in more than 20 car models. Also, the division's textile yarns are used from the roof to the floor in various automotive interior applications.

    The Dispersions business group's products are used as carpet backing in automotive interiors and adhesives. And the Chemicals division supplies raw materials for automotive exterior and interior products, such as coatings, fuel additives and antifreeze.