Scania notes record registrations in Europe in 1999

Scania notes record registrations in Europe in 1999 Scania set a new sales record in its main market of Western Europe, with registrations of just over 35,000 (31,500) heavy Scania trucks in 1999. Scania enhanced its position on most European truck markets, with the em- phasis on the large and important markets of Germany, France and Italy. The total number of heavy truck registrations in Western Europe increased by about 14 percent to just over 235,000 vehicles in 1999. "Several important factors contributed to the strong 1999 showing. Not least, the strong economic growth of several European countries, low in- terest rates and low inflation allied to a considerable pent-up need to replace trucks from the previous peak period of the early 1990s," ex- plained Leif Östling, President and CEO of Scania, at the international RAI truck show in Amsterdam. Scania's work on development and enhancement of its product and service range continued during 1999. Distributors in Italy, Finland and Norway be- came wholly-owned Scania subsidiaries. These were just some of the strate- gic acquisitions that were implemented in recent years with the aim of im- plementing Scania's broader and stronger product concept on the various markets. Interest in a broader product concept - that is to say vehicles, service solutions and customer financing is increasing steadily, particularly in Europe. There is also every indication that this concept will soon make a breakthrough in Latin America and Asia. At the RAI truck show, Scania presented several exciting IT innovations, among them a computer interface that communicates on-board vehicle data with various peripheral systems. With Scania's open architecture, the cus- tomer can, for instance, choose the fleet management system that best suits his particular needs. Scania also presented a number of visions of the future, including a model of a concept truck for the year 2010. Scania's Euro 3 engines, which have recorded immense successes and are now fitted to 70 percent of all trucks Scania sells in Germany, took the place of honour at the stand, along with several up-to-the-minute safety dis- plays. "Offering the best total solutions on the market is the key to realising Scania's growth target," said Leif Östling. Scania's financial statement for 1999 will be published on Thursday 3 Feb- ruary, and it will be made available on the Scania homepage at www.scania.com For further information, please contact Ulf Söderström, Corporate Communi- cations, on telephone number +46 8 55381044, e-mail: ulf.soderstrom@scania.com Scania is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. With production facilities in Europe and Latin America, Scania is one of the most profitable companies in its sector. Scania products are marketed in about 100 countries worldwide and approximately 96 percent of total pro- duction is sold outside Sweden. Scania press releases are available on the Internet, www.scania.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/02/02/20000202BIT00090/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/02/02/20000202BIT00090/bit0002.pdf