Automotive ad spending rose 18.2 percent in calendar 1997.
The increase is documented in the 1998 Automotive News Market Data Book, the annual source of reference information.
The big spender was General Motors, with $2.1 billion in measured ad spending last year, a 32.5 percent increase from $1.6 billion in 1996.
The largest advertising cut was made by AM General, producer of the Hummer, from $915,000 in 1996 to $278,000 last year.
The Market Data Book will be published May 27. It is included in Automotive News subscriptions. It also can be purchased sep- arately for $19.95.
For subscriptions or single-copy sales, please call (800) 678-9595.
The Market Data Book is also available on disk. Call (313) 446-0372 for information.
Other advertising facts in this year's book:
Subaru of America Inc. had the largest increase between 1996 and 1997 in measured ad spending per vehicle. Its spending increased 294 percent, from $149 in 1996 to $589 last year.
Lexus Division had the largest decrease in ad spending per vehicle. It fell 24.5 percent, from $1,880 in 1996 to $1,420 in 1997.
Per-vehicle advertising for each GM brand, including Saturn, increased last year, from a low of 14.1 percent at Pontiac to a high of 71.2 percent at Cadillac.
