Trading Statement

Inchcape PLC 16 December 2002 Monday 16 December 2002 Inchcape Pre-Close Trading Statement Inchcape plc enters a close period on 3 January 2003. Trading in Inchcape's six core markets is such that full year profit before tax* is expected to be slightly ahead of the top end of current market expectations, which is £106.2m. Despite the economic weakness in some of our markets, Inchcape's geographic spread and breadth of business activities have again proved to be important factors in this strong performance and continue to give us confidence looking forward to 2003. With regard to Block Exemption we are in ongoing discussions with our core partners and are confident that they will result in a positive outcome for the Group. Inchcape will announce its Preliminary Results for the year ended 31 December 2002 on 3 March 2003. *Profit before tax, goodwill amortisation and exceptionals. Notes to editors Inchcape, as an international automotive services group, provides quality representation for its manufacturer partners, a choice of channels to market and products for its retail customers and a range of business services for its corporate customers. Operating primarily in the UK, Greece, Belgium, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, its key partners are Toyota, Subaru, Ferrari, Jaguar and Land Rover. Inchcape's activities include exclusive Import, Distribution and Retail, Business Services, automotive E-commerce and Financial Services. For further information, please contact: Group Communications, Inchcape plc 020 7546 0022 John Olsen/Tom Leatherbarrow, Hogarth Partnership Limited 020 7357 9477 For further information, visit us at www.inchcape.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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Inchcape (INCH)
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