Dana's Wix Filtration Products Division To Establish First European Operation With Joint Venture In Poland

    TOLEDO, Ohio, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wix Filtration Products Division
of Dana Corporation will establish its first manufacturing operation in Europe
with the formation of a joint venture company with Przedsiebiorstwu FILTRON in
Gostyn, Poland.  The joint venture will also mark Dana's first operation in
Central Europe.
    Pending government approvals, Dana will ultimately hold a 75-percent
equity position in the new company, to be called Wix-Filtron, according to
Gus Franklin, president of Dana Europe, and Richard B. Forde, group vice
president for the Wix Filtration Products Group.
    FILTRON currently holds the number-two market position for filters in
Poland and produces a broad line of automotive oil, air, fuel and cabin air
filters for the Polish market.  The company also exports to several countries
in Central and Western Europe.  Sales in 1997 are expected to exceed $17
million.
    Located in Poland's Leszno region, between Warsaw and Berlin, FILTRON was
founded in 1982 by Piotr Giermaziak, who will become president and general
director of Wix-Filtron.  The company employs 230 people.
    "We are delighted with the prospect of welcoming Wix-Filtron to Dana's
rapidly growing filtration products family," said Forde.  "Combining the
FILTRON team with the technology and resources of Wix and Dana's other
European activities in sealing products, plastics and distribution will give
us the potential to serve all segments of the European automotive market.  The
economic growth in Central Europe is enormous, and we're excited to be part of
it."
    "Wix-Filtron will be an excellent strategic investment for Dana," Franklin
said.  "It will give us a manufacturing base in Central Europe for expanding
our core filtration products business throughout the continent, where we will
then be able to provide an underhood air delivery system," he said.  "And this
joint venture will also help us expand other Dana core businesses from Western
Europe into the central and eastern regions."
    "Wix and FILTRON are logical partners for a joint venture," Giermaziak
said.  "We visited several Dana operations in Europe and the United States and
were impressed with the company's emphasis on technology and its commitment to
global growth,"  he explained.  "And we think the Dana Style of Management
provides a great opportunity for the development of FILTRON people.  Our
people built the company into what it is today, and they are ready to take
Wix-Filtron to new levels of success."
    Dana Corporation is a global leader in the engineering, manufacture and
distribution of products and systems for the vehicular, industrial and
off-highway markets.  Its core businesses are axles, driveshafts, structural
components (frames), sealing products, filtration products, off-highway
components, engine products, industrial products and leasing.  Its leasing
services operation was a recipient of the 1996 Malcolm Baldrige National
Quality Award.   Founded in 1904 and based in Toledo, Ohio, Dana operates
facilities in 30 countries with more than 48,000 people.  Its 1996 sales were
$7.7 billion.  It has more than 40 product research and development centers
worldwide. The Internet address for Dana's home page is: http://www.dana.com.

SOURCE  Dana Corporation

CONTACT: Gary Corrigan, Director-Corporate Communications, of Dana
Corporation, 419-535-4813