From a press release issued by American Suzuki:

American Suzuki and Household Embark on New Finance Relationship

— Suzuki dealers to benefit from newly formed
association with Household —

BREA, Calif. (Jan. 12, 2004) – American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC), today, announced that it will begin a new five-year relationship with the retail services subsidiaries of Household International, Inc., a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HBC).

Household’s retail services group will handle all consumer financing of motorcycle, ATV and marine outboard motor sales at the dealership level. Using the new credit program, Suzuki’s customers will benefit from special financing options on their Suzuki product, accessory and service purchases. The partnership between ASMC and Household will begin on February 1, 2004, with the marine division, and with the motorcycle/ATV division on April 1, 2004.

“Household is a leader in the finance industry and we’re very excited about this endeavor,” said ASMC Vice President of Motorcycle/ATV Division Mel Harris. “Our dealers are enthusiastic about this as well and will benefit enormously. We at Suzuki are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Household.”

“We leveraged our expertise in consumer financing for the powersports industry to offer customized solutions based on Suzuki’s business needs,” said Sandy Derickson, Managing Director and CEO of Household’s retail services business. “We look forward to partnering with Suzuki to deliver a world-class financing program.”

About Household
Household International is a wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world. Through its businesses, Household is a leading provider of consumer loans, credit cards, auto finance and credit insurance products in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. In the United States, Household operates under the two oldest and most recognized names in consumer finance – HFC and Beneficial. Additionally, Household is one of the nation’s largest issuers of private label and general-purpose credit cards, including The GM Card® and the AFL-CIO’s Union Plus® card. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.household.com.

About American Suzuki

The Motorcycle/ATV Division of American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), Brea, Calif., was founded in 1963 by Suzuki Motor Corporation. ASMC markets motorcycles and ATVs via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. ASMC’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, it has 120 distributors in 191 countries.