Capital Automotive Declares Fourth Quarter 2000 Dividend of $0.3850 -- 12th Consecutive Quarterly Increase

5 December 2000
Capital Automotive Declares Fourth Quarter 2000 Dividend of $0.3850 -- 12th Consecutive Quarterly Increase
    MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 5 Capital Automotive , the
nation's leading specialty finance company for automotive retail real estate,
today announced that its Board of Trustees has declared a quarterly cash
dividend of $0.3850 per share for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2000.
The dividend is payable on January 31, 2001 to shareholders of record as of
December 31, 2000.
    Thomas D. Eckert, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The
fourth quarter dividend reflects the 12th consecutive increase in our
quarterly dividend and represents an annualized rate of $1.54 per share and a
12% yield based on Monday's closing stock price.  Our real estate portfolio
continues to perform at a very high level and is producing stable, predictable
cash flow.  Looking forward, as part of our continued commitment to return
value to our shareholders, we expect to increase the 2001 annual dividend by
approximately three percent."
    Capital Automotive, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, is a
self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust formed to
acquire the real property and improvements used by operators of multi-site,
multi-franchised automotive dealerships and related businesses.  Additional
information on Capital Automotive is available on the Company's web site at
http://www.capitalautomotive.com .
    To receive Capital Automotive's latest news and corporate developments via
fax at no cost, please call 1-800-PRO-INFO; use Company code CARS or visit The
Financial Relations Board's web site at http://www.frbinc.com .
    Certain matters discussed within this press release are forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws.  Although the
Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking
statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, the Company's future
operations will depend on a number of factors that may differ, some
materially, from the Company's assumptions.  These factors, which could cause
the Company's actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the
forward-looking statements, include risks that the Company's tenants will not
pay rent or that the Company's operating costs may be higher than expected,
risks of interest rate fluctuations impacting future acquisitions, risks that
additional acquisitions may not be consummated, environmental and other risks
associated with the acquisition and leasing of automotive properties and those
risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including its
annual report on Form 10-K and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.  The
Company makes no promise to update any of the forward-looking statements, or
to publicly release the results if the Company revises any of them.