Wescast Wins contracts from Nissan, GM, Jaguar.

Wescast Industries, Inc., Brantford, Ontario, Canada, has received a letter of intent to supply machined exhaust manifolds and catalytic converter containers to Nissan North American, Inc. Gardenia; California, for its next generation V-6 engine program.

The V-6 engine manufactured in Nissan's Decherd. Tennessee engine plant, will be used in the 2003 Quest van and Altima vehicles. This 5-year program is Wescast's initial business with Nissan.

"We are pleased with the opportunity to work with Nissan," said Ray Finnie, president and CEO of Westcast. "It brings Wescast into another product line with the addition of the catalytic converter container and takes us a step further in our hot end system strategy."

This program will require 380,000 manifolds and 190,000 catalytic converter containers annually. There will be an additional investment of $9 million in preparation for this program, including a machining facility being integrated with Wescast's Brantford foundry.

In other news, Wescast will supply Jaguar with two new programs. Production will begin in February 2001 for the machined iron exhaust manifolds for Jaguar's new compact sports sedan. The manifolds will be cast at Wescast's new North Huron location and machined at its Wingham facility.

Jaguar also has selected Wescast to supply fully cast and machined stainless steel exhaust manifolds for all V-8 Jaguar programs starting in January 2002. These engines, manufactured in Lima, Ohio and Bridgend, U.K. plants, will be used in the Jaguar XJ8, XK8, S-type and Lincoln LS platforms.

The steel program, reportedly one of the largest in existence, will be at full volume in 2003. The program will be cast and machined at the company's stainless steel operation in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. This is the second major stainless steel manifold program awarded to Stratford.

"We are proud to provide jaguar with exhaust manifolds for this line of vehicles,' said Finnie. "Our investment in cast steel manifold technology has resulted in a competitive alternative to fabricated manifolds for high-performance engines.

"This new technology provides for greater flexibility in engine design, durability and, ultimately, performance."

In further news, Wescast has been chosen to supply machined iron exhaust manifolds for several of GM's new engine programs to be introduced over the next few years.

Included will be manifolds for the new Electron and High-Value V-6 engine programs. These engines will be featured in various Epsilon and mid-luxury class vehicles starting in 2003. In addition, these engines will be used on the GMT 235 platform for the next generation of minivans. Wescast also has been awarded a portion of the premium V-S program, available on a range of Cadillac models.

Wescast designs, develops, casts and machines iron and steel exhaust manifolds for automotive OEMs.