VEHICLE SHIPPING DELAYS

GM, Ford & Chrysler have advised their dealers that many vehicles are experiencing shipping delays from the factory to dealer. Several factors are causing these delays:

• Production of new vehicles is at an all-time high. This adds pressure on the transportation systems to perform.

• Railroads in the East are experiencing significant delays over normal times, due to lingering effects from Hurricane Floyd on select vehicle lines and/or in select regions.

• Rail car shortages are still a serious problem, particularly in the truck area. With record numbers of new vehicles produced, the rail cars are just not available to ship new vehicles.

FORD'S ECONOLINE PLANT HAS FIRE

A fire at Ford's Cleveland Casting Plant on September 21, 1999 has resulted in less-than-anticipated near term Econoline production. Orders are expected to be delayed approximately 3 weeks, compared with normal timing.

FORD FREIGHT INCREASE

Ford recently announced an increase in the destination charge for most 2000 model cars and trucks. The $25 increase is pretty much across the board, with the exception of the new Ford Taurus, Focus and Mercury Sable. There was no increase on those models.

Despite the higher transportation fee, prices of twelve F-150 XLT pickups were reduced by between $5 and $25.

2000-MODEL FORD TAURUS LAUNCHED IN ATLANTA

Atlanta, Oct. 14, 1999 – The redesigned Taurus – built at Ford Motor Company's Atlanta Assembly Plant (AAP) in Hapeville, Ga. – has even more safety enhancements, room, quality and durability than its "double five star" safety-rated predecessor. Race car driver Bill Elliott, a native Georgian with 40 racing victories, joined hundreds of top-rated AAP employees in celebrating the launch of the new Taurus. Close behind the Ford Taurus was a new, redesigned 2000-model chestnut-colored Mercury Sable, also built at AAP.

The 2000-model Taurus is designed for enhanced performance in crash tests and real-world accidents. It continues Ford's safety leadership, offering customers several safety firsts, including Ford's Personal Safety System and a child-friendly trunk release system, a first for a mid-sized car. Head and chest air bags and energy absorbing trim panels are available, too, helping better protect drivers and front-seat passengers during accidents.

Taurus and Sable also feature dual-stage inflating air bags and crash severity sensors, integrated safety belt pretensioners, energy management retractors and redesigned armrests which collapse better during collisions, helping reduce the risk of injuries for occupants involved in side-impact crashes.

Comfort and convenience also were top priorities in designing the new cars. They offer power adjustable accelerator and brake pedals, which can be horizontally adjusted up to three inches toward the driver from the standard location. Improved front and rear headroom, increased trunk space, and a new layout for audio and climate-control system controls also are part of the new package.

The Atlanta plant uses In Line Vehicle Sequencing (ILVS) to build the new Taurus and Sable so that components are delivered to the plant in the exact sequence for assembly, just hours before a particular vehicle is built. The benefits of ILVS include optimized efficiencies, improved quality and a reduction in inventory, cost and complexity.

Approximately 2,400 men and women work at AAP. AAP employees built 256,999 award-winning Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable cars last year. More than four million customers have purchased Taurus since its introduction in 1985 as a 1986 model.

In addition to Atlanta, Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable are built at Ford Motor Company's Chicago Assembly Plant.

DODGE INTREPID IS NAMED FAMILY CIRCLE "Family Car of the Year"

Auburn Hills, MI, October 14, 1999 – Nationwide, women ranked the spacious, comfortable and powerful Dodge Intrepid as the Family Circle "Family Car of the Year." Results announced today placed the Dodge Intrepid above seven other finalists based on its space, comfort and overall design in the sedan category.

"Winning the Family Circle Car of the Year award is proof that we designed the Dodge Intrepid to meet everyday needs of today's modern families, while still providing performance and handling for those who enjoy driving," said Jim Julow, Vice President, Dodge Division - DaimlerChrysler Corporation. "Befitting of the Dodge brand, the Family Car of the Year research shows that Intrepid owners place importance on performance, handling and stunning design when selecting a new vehicle."

Family Circle created the Car of the Year award to help set standards for families purchasing a new vehicle. The top automotive awards are given to the sedan and sport activity vehicle that was consistently found to meet the needs of women and their families.

TOYOTA ANNOUNCES SEQUOIA

October 19, 1999, Torrance, CA – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., announced that the name of its all-new U.S.-built full-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) will be Sequoia.

Scheduled to go on sale in the fall of 2000 as a 2001 model, Sequoia will be based on the Toyota Tundra full-size pickup truck. It will feature the same i-Force V8 engine that powers the Toyota Land Cruiser and Tundra. Sequoia will be built alongside Tundra at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana production facility.

Jim Press, TMS executive vice president, announced the name to journalists attending the Tokyo Motor Show at a press conference on Tuesday. Press said Sequoia represents strength and longevity. It will join Toyota's wide range of SUV's, including the compact car-based RAV4, the mid-sized 4Runner and the full-size Land Cruiser.

Additional details on Sequoia will be announced at a later date.

BUICK LESABRE, CENTURY NAMED CONSUMERS DIGEST 'BEST BUYS'

Detroit – October 18, 1999 – Two 2000-model-year Buick sedans that represent two-thirds of the division's sales have been named "Best Buys" for family cars by Consumers Digest magazine.

Buick Century received Best Buy honors for the third consecutive year, while the all-new Buick LeSabre rejoined the Best Buy list after a seven-year hiatus. LeSabre, the best-selling full-size sedan in America for the past seven years, is re-engineered to be safer and to provide families with more peace of mind than ever before. Century is offering a special edition for the new millennium.

Best Buys are those cars and trucks Consumers Digest believes offer the best value in their respective classes - the vehicles they feel offer the best combination of performance, comfort, styling and projected reliability, among other factors, compared to their sticker prices.

SUBARU NAMED "MOST IMPROVED CAR COMPANY" IN THE WORLD

October 12, 1999 - Cherry Hill, NJ –Subaru has been named "Most Improved Car Company" at the 1999 Global Automotive Awards ceremony sponsored by the London-based Financial Times Automotive World magazine. The publication created this particular award to honor the company or organization, which, in the opinion of the judges, had achieved the greatest improvement in its position in recent years.

Subaru beat out several other auto companies including Porsche, Jaguar and Skoda, all of which were finalists for "The Most Improved Car Company" award. The inaugural awards, which included 10 other categories, were presented on September 15 during the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Sponsored by Andersen Consulting, the FT Global Automotive Awards were created to acknowledge those organizations and individuals pioneering best practices and advanced developments leading to real excellence in management, brand stewardship or world-class product design.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Over the past six years, Subaru has nearly tripled its revenue in the U.S. and increased its unit sales by more than 50 percent, thus placing it among the fastest growing brands in the automotive industry.

Headquartered near Philadelphia, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of nearly 600 franchised dealers across the United States. The Outback and Legacy models sold in the United States are manufactured at the company's American manufacturing plant, Subaru-Isuzu Automotive, Inc., near Lafayette, Ind.

GM TO DISPLAY NINE ALL-NEW CONCEPT VEHICLES

DETROIT and RUSSELSHEIM, October 20, 1999 – In its drive to be the industry leader in product innovation, General Motors will showcase nine all-new concept vehicles at the world's leading auto shows the first half of 2000.

"General Motors has the broadest product range of any automaker in the world," said Wayne Cherry, vice president of GM Design and Portfolio Development. "That brings an awesome responsibility and opportunity to serve a vast array of customers and continue to define new and creative ways to put people around the world on wheels. Nothing stimulates creativity more than generating concept vehicles to translate ideas into forms."

The concepts to be revealed at upcoming shows include:

Los Angeles (January 8 – 16, 2000)

Saturn CV1 (Brand style: Friendly Product) – A design exercise highlighting the interior in a multi-function vehicle offering versatile passenger and cargo carrying capability in a safe, flexible, environmentally-friendly package. The innovative design includes seating for seven with fold-down jump seats, reconfigurable interior space, unique bi-fold doors and many customer-oriented features.

Oldsmobile Profile (Brand style: Architectonic) – A new kind of sophisticated sports sedan with power sliding rear doors, sliding fold-flat split rear seats and comprehensive mobile communications. Driving control is reinforced by a supercharged all-aluminum twin cam V6, all-wheel drive and Oldsmobile's Precision Control System.

Detroit (January 15 – 23, 2000)

Buick LaCrosse (Brand style: Graceful) – An innovative and stylish luxury sedan crossover with surprising versatility – it's quickly converted to a carrier of oversized cargo when panels open to reveal its pickup-type bed. The interior showcases consumer-friendly advanced technology such as voice-activated controls and reconfigurable color head-up displays for driver and front passenger.

GMC Terradyne (Brand style: Industrial Precision) –A full-size truck in which capabilities exceed requirements. It's boldly executed with powerful styling, fresh proportions and impressive cues. Terradyne embodies professional grade quality in a five-passenger, automatic four-wheel drive/rear-wheel drive, full-size megacab pickup. It takes away the trade-offs between a pickup, crewcab and sport utility.

Opel CVC (Brand style: Dynamic Versatility) – A lifestyle compact van concept based on the European Zafira. It includes an innovative seating concept, variable interior and state-of-the-art aluminum engine with gasoline direct injection. Fit for freezing weather and winter sport, thanks to full-time four-wheel-drive and a roof-box integrated in the glass ceiling for storing ice/snow accessories.

Chevrolet SSR (Brand style: Spirited Function) – A stunning performance roadster that wraps 88 years of Chevy heritage in a design that only looks like a truck. It has prominent front and rear fender flares, a V-8 engine, rear-wheel drive, great dynamics, a rounded power-retractable roof and lots of space! Curb appeal that can't be ignored!

Chicago (February 11 – 20, 2000)

Chevrolet Traverse (Brand style: Spirited Function) – Not a car...not a truck...but the best of both in this exploration to re-invent the Chevy family sedan. Truck-like attributes – command-view seating, all-wheel drive performance, and utility – are applied to a spacious interior with tall proportions and minimal overhangs in a midsize truck body architecture.

Pontiac Piranha (Brand style: Athletic) – A performance driving machine that offers affordable driving excitement. This four-seat, supercharged front-wheel-drive open air capable coupe boosts the individualization of quick change interior trim fabrics, the functionality of rear access doors and a fold flat tailgate, and the versatility of an open roof and a removable cargo carrier.

Geneva

Cadillac 2000 Concept (Brand style: Art and Science) – The ultimate luxury sedan with unmistakable Cadillac styling and personalized "first class" seating for all four passengers. Complete with infotainment systems, night vision, rear seat display screens, all-wheel drive and a 450 bhp supercharged Northstar V8, this performance sedan is designed to be chauffeured in during the week and to personally drive on the weekend.

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NEW JERSEY SURCHARGE

To recover anticipated increased costs of conducting business in New Jersey, as a result of recent legislation, General Motors announced to their dealers on October 1, 1999 that effective immediately they were revising prices of 2000 model cars and trucks. This "surcharge" is only added to invoices of vehicles that are shipped to dealers in New Jersey.

Should Ford or DaimlerChrysler follow suit, we will announce it here in the Purchasing News.

If a vehicle is shipped to a New Jersey dealer for delivery out of the state, GM is developing a refund procedure.

The option code on the GM invoice is "R6M - New Jersey Cost Surcharge." The amount of the surcharge varies by model. It ranges from $34 on a Prizm to $394 for a Cadillac Seville. Here is the list of GM surcharges by model:

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DAIMLERCHRYSLER 2000 MODEL YEAR PURCHASE ALLOWANCES

FORD 2000 MODEL YEAR NATIONAL FLEET INCENTIVES

GENERAL MOTORS 2000 MODEL YEAR NATIONAL FLEET PURCHASE PROGRAM

MAZDA 2000 MODEL YEAR COMMERCIAL FLEET PROGRAM

NISSAN 2000 MODEL YEAR FLEET PROGRAMS

SAAB 2000 MODEL YEAR FLEET PROGRAM

SUBARU 2000 MODEL YEAR FLEET INCENTIVE PROGRAM

TOYOTA 2000 MODEL YEAR COMMERCIAL FLEET INCENTIVE INVOICE CREDIT PROGRAM

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2000 Model Year Fleet Programs: Ford * General Motors * Mazda * Nissan * Saab * Subaru * Toyota

Ford Motor Company - National Fleet Incentives

On July 2, 1999, Ford announced the following National Fleet Incentives for the 2000 model year cars and trucks. Ford is combining the National Fleet Incentives with the Fleet Marketing Credits for a "Total Fleet Discount" for each vehicle line. This is to provide an accurate comparison between Ford vehicles and the facing GM products for the 2000 model year. Their national incentives have been increased to compensate for the elimination of marketing credits to fleet customers for 2000. The "Total Fleet Incentive" should avoid confusion that may exist due to the GM fleet program change.

2000 Model Year Fleet Programs: Daimlerchrysler * General Motors * Mazda * Nissan * Saab * Subaru * Toyota

2000 Model Year Fleet Programs: Daimlerchrysler * Ford * Mazda * Nissan * Saab * Subaru * Toyota

2000 Model Year Fleet Programs: Daimlerchrysler * Ford * General Motors * Nissan * Saab * Subaru * Toyota

2000 Model Year Fleet Programs: Diamlerchrysler * Ford * General Motors * Mazda * Saab * Subaru * Toyota

Model year 2000 Fleet Program Incentives apply to all new vehicles sold and reported to Saab Cars USA, Inc. by December 31, 2000. Dealer must complete Form SF#3 and mail along with supporting documents to the Fleet Sales Dept. in Norcross. GA. For more information call Mitch. Kamon at (770) 279-6892.

2000 Model Year Fleet Programs: Daimlerchrysler * Ford * Gerneral Motors * Mazda * Nissan * Subaru * Toyota

2000 Model Year Fleet Programs: Daimlerchrysler * Ford * General Motors * Mazda * Nissan * Saab * Toyota

2000 Model Year Fleet Programs: Daimlerchrysler * Ford * General Motors * Mazda * Nissan * Saab * Subaru