ECIA (35 rue Paul Vaillant Couturier, F-92300 Levallois Perret), the PSA subsidiary, has become the European leader in exhaust systems with the acquisition of the remaining 70% of Leistritz Abgastechnik (Germany). Simultaneously the company is buying the 49% holding of Leistritz in Eli Echappement. With a projected turnover of FFr 2.5bn, ECIA becomes the No 1 company in Europe in this sector, ahead of Eberspächer (Germany) and Arvin Cheswick (USA). Leistritz has three plants in Germany, employing 1000, with a sales turnover of DM 200m. ECIA has four plants in Europe, employing 2400, with sales of FFr 1.57bn in 1993. The First Quarter of 1994 was good for ECIA: sales increased 6.4% thanks to the recovery in the automobile industry.