Securities and Exchange Commission Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 11-K ( X ) ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (FEE REQUIRED) For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997 ----------------------------- ( ) TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (NO FEE REQUIRED) For the transition period from to ----------- ------------ Commission file no. 1-4651 ------- A. Full title of the plan and the address of the plan, if different from that of the issuer named below: Echlin Incentive and Savings Investment Plan B. Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan and the address of its principal executive office: Echlin Inc. 100 Double Beach Road Branford, Connecticut 06405 1 Echlin Incentive and Savings Investment Plan Index December 31, 1997 - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Page ---- I REQUIRED INFORMATION: Report of Independent Accountants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Statements of Financial Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8 Statements of Income and Changes in Participants' Equity. . . . . . . . .9-12 Notes to Financial Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17 Schedule A - Schedule of Reportable Transactions. . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 II SIGNATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 III EXHIBIT A - Consent of Independent Accountants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 2 Echlin Incentive and Savings Investment Plan Financial Statements December 31, 1997 - ------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP [LOGO] REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS --------------------------------- To the Participants and Administrator of the Echlin Incentive and Savings Investment Plan In our opinion, the accompanying statements of financial condition and the related statements of income and changes in participants' equity present fairly, in all material respects, the net assets of the Echlin Incentive and Savings Investment Plan at December 31, 1997 and 1996, and the changes in net assets for the years then ended, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. These financial statements are the responsibility of the plan's administrator; our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards which require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by the plan's administrator, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for the opinion expressed above. Our audits were performed for the purpose of forming an opinion on the basic financial statements taken as a whole. The additional information included in Schedule A is presented for purposes of additional analysis and is not a required part of the basic financial statements but is additional information required by ERISA. The Fund Information in the statements of financial condition and the statements of income and changes in participants' equity is presented for purposes of additional analysis rather than to present the net assets available for plan benefits and changes in net assets available for plan benefits of each fund. Schedule A and the Fund Information have been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the audits of the basic financial statements and, in our opinion, are fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole. /s/ Price Waterhouse LLP - ------------------------ Price Waterhouse LLP Stamford, Connecticut April 22, 1998 4 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (Page 1 of 2) December 31, 1997 (000's omitted) Putnam Dodge Vanguard Echlin Putnam New & Cox Index AIM Stock Voyager Opportunities Balanced Trust 500 Constellation Fund Fund Fund Fund Fund Fund ---------- ----------- -------- -------- ---------- ---------- ASSETS Investments, at fair value: Mutual funds $ - $29,340 $15,813 $ 6,400 $10,093 $ 9,655 Stable value fund - - - - - - Echlin Inc. common stock 30,005 - - - - - ------- ------- ------- ----- ------ ------- Total investments 30,005 29,340 15,813 6,400 10,093 9,655 ------- ------- ------- ----- ------ ------- Receivables: Employee contributions - - - - - - Employee loans - - - - - - Echlin Inc.-employee loan repayments - - - - - - ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- Total receivables - - - - - - ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- Total assets 30,005 29,340 15,813 6,400 10,093 9,655 ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- LIABILITIES Employee withdrawals payable - - - - - - Other payables 93 18 36 6 9 23 ------- ------- ------- ----- ------ ------- Total liabilities 93 18 36 6 9 23 ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- Net assets representing participants' equity $29,912 $29,322 $15,777 $ 6,394 $10,084 $ 9,632 ======= ======= ======= ====== ======= ======= See notes to financial statements. 5 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (Page 2 of 2) December 31, 1997 (000's omitted) Templeton Foreign Stable Employee Equity Value Loan Fund Fund Fund Total -------- -------- -------- -------- ASSETS Investments, at fair value: Mutual funds $4,054 $ - $ - $75,355 Stable value fund - 42,734 - 42,734 Echlin Inc. common stock - - - 30,005 ------ ------- ------- -------- Total investments 4,054 42,734 - 148,094 ------ ------- ------- -------- Receivables: Employee contributions - - - - Employee loans - - 8,528 8,528 Echlin Inc.-employee loan repayments - - - - ------ ------- ------- -------- Total receivables - - 8,528 8,528 ------ ------- ------- -------- Total assets 4,054 42,734 8,528 156,622 ------ ------- ------- -------- LIABILITIES Employee withdrawals payable - 903 - 903 Other payables 10 36 31 262 ------ ------- ------- -------- Total liabilities 10 939 31 1,165 ------ ------- ------- -------- Net assets representing participants' equity $4,044 $41,795 $ 8,497 $155,457 ====== ======= ======= ======== See notes to financial statements. 6 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (Page 1 of 2) December 31, 1996 (000's omitted) Putnam Dodge Vanguard Echlin Putnam New & Cox Index AIM Stock Voyager Opportunities Balanced Trust 500 Constellation Fund Fund Fund Fund Fund Fund ---------- ----------- -------- -------- ---------- ---------- ASSETS Investments, at fair value: Mutual funds $ - $23,381 $13,880 $ 4,103 $4,881 $ 8,284 Stable value fund - - - - - - Echlin Inc. common stock 26,495 - - - - - ------- ------- ------- ----- ------ ------- Total investments 26,495 23,381 13,880 4,103 4,881 8,284 ------- ------- ------- ----- ------ ------- Receivables: Employee contributions 114 167 355 87 118 160 Employee loans - - - - - - Echlin Inc.-employee loan repayments - - - - - - ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- Total receivables 114 167 355 87 118 160 ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- Total assets 26,609 23,548 14,235 4,190 4,999 8,444 ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- LIABILITIES Employee withdrawals payable 128 86 107 5 72 84 ------- ------- ------- ----- ------ ------- Total liabilities 128 86 107 5 72 84 ------- ------- ------- ------ ------ ------- Net assets representing participants' equity $26,481 $23,462 $14,128 $ 4,185 $4,927 $ 8,360 ======= ======= ======= ====== ====== ======= See notes to financial statements. 7 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (Page 2 of 2) December 31, 1996 (000's omitted) Templeton Foreign Stable Employee Equity Value Loan Fund Fund Fund Total -------- -------- -------- -------- ASSETS Investments, at fair value: Mutual funds $2,781 $ - $ - $57,310 Stable value fund - 40,023 - 40,023 Echlin Inc. common stock - - - 26,495 ------ ------- ------- -------- Total investments 2,781 40,023 - 123,828 ------ ------- ------- -------- Receivables: Employee contributions 59 209 - 1,269 Employee loans - - 7,884 7,884 Echlin Inc.-employee loan repayments - - 295 295 ------ ------- ------- -------- Total receivables 59 209 8,179 9,448 ------ ------- ------- -------- Total assets 2,840 40,232 8,179 133,276 ------ ------- ------- -------- LIABILITIES Employee withdrawals payable 4 298 - 784 ------ ------- ------- -------- Total liabilities 4 298 - 784 ------ ------- ------- -------- Net assets representing participants' equity $2,836 $39,934 $ 8,179 $132,492 ====== ======= ======= ======== See notes to financial statements. 8 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN STATEMENT OF INCOME AND CHANGES IN PARTICIPANTS' EQUITY (Page 1 of 2) For the Year Ended December 31, 1997 (000's omitted) Putnam Dodge Vanguard Echlin Putnam New & Cox Index AIM Stock Voyager Opportunities Balanced Trust 500 Constellation Fund Fund Fund Fund Fund Fund ---------- ----------- -------- -------- ---------- ---------- Investment income: Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in fair value of investments $2,555 $3,160 $ 2,083 $ 414 $1,666 $ 144 Net realized gains on sales of investments 1,179 1,051 497 99 209 213 Interest and dividends 749 1,764 353 477 195 704 ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- Total investment income 4,483 5,975 2,933 990 2,070 1,061 Employee contributions 1,357 2,391 2,027 667 1,054 1,245 Employee rollovers 135 261 325 185 336 199 Employer incentive match contribution 916 - - - - - Interest on employee loans - - - - - - ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- Total additions 6,891 8,627 5,285 1,842 3,460 2,505 ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- Employee withdrawals (2,558) (1,830) (1,888) (428) (614) (694) ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- Net transfers between funds (902) (937) (1,748) 795 2,311 (539) ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- Net increase in assets 3,431 5,860 1,649 2,209 5,157 1,272 Net assets at beginning of year 26,481 23,462 14,128 4,185 4,927 8,360 ------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- Net assets at end of year $29,912 $29,322 $15,777 $6,394 $10,084 $ 9,632 ======= ======= ======= ====== ======= ======= See notes to financial statements. 9 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN STATEMENT OF INCOME AND CHANGES IN PARTICIPANTS' EQUITY (Page 2 of 2) For the Year Ended December 31, 1997 (000's omitted) Templeton Foreign Stable Employee Equity Value Loan Fund Fund Fund Total -------- -------- -------- -------- Investment income: Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in fair value of investments $ (297) $ - $ - $ 9,725 Net realized gains on sales of investments 48 - - 3,296 Interest and dividends 444 2,670 - 7,356 ------ ------- ------- -------- Total investment income 195 2,670 - 20,377 Employee contributions 514 4,154 - 13,409 Employee rollovers 117 344 - 1,902 Employer incentive match contribution - - - 916 Interest on employee loans - - 653 653 ------ ------- ------- -------- Total additions 826 7,168 653 37,257 ------ ------- ------- -------- Employee withdrawals (236) (6,044) - (14,292) ------ ------- ------- -------- Net transfers between funds 618 737 (335) - ------ ------- ------- -------- Net increase in assets 1,208 1,861 318 22,965 Net assets at beginning of year 2,836 39,934 8,179 132,492 ------ ------- ------- -------- Net assets at end of year $4,044 $41,795 $ 8,497 $155,457 ====== ======= ======= ======== See notes to financial statements. 10 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN STATEMENT OF INCOME AND CHANGES IN PARTICIPANTS' EQUITY (Page 1 of 2) For the Year Ended December 31, 1996 (000's omitted) Putnam Dodge Echlin Putnam Putnam Putnam New & Cox Stock Voyager Investors Daily Dividend Opportunities Balanced Fund Fund Fund Fund Fund Fund ---------- ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- Investment income: Net unrealized (depreciation) appreciation in fair value of investments $(5,467) $(1,169) $ (525) $ - $ 791 $ 303 Net realized gains on sales of investments 1,434 2,294 566 - 41 7 Interest and dividends 715 1,481 - - 105 167 ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- Total investment (loss) income (3,318) 2,606 41 - 937 477 Employee contributions 1,274 1,784 - - 584 22 Employee rollovers 349 696 - - 1,164 533 Employer incentive match contribution 972 - - - - - Interest on employee loans - - - - - - ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- Total additions (723) 5,086 41 - 2,685 1,032 ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- Employee withdrawals (1,784) (960) - - (314) (62) ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- Net transfers between funds (2,724) (5,889) (11,842) (2,869) 11,757 3,215 ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------- Net (decrease) increase in assets (5,231) (1,763) (11,801) (2,869) 14,128 4,185 Net assets at beginning of year 31,712 25,225 11,801 2,869 - - ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ------ Net assets at end of year $26,481 $23,462 $ - $ - $14,128 $4,185 ======= ======= ====== ======= ======= ====== See notes to financial statements. 11 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN STATEMENT OF INCOME AND CHANGES IN PARTICIPANTS' EQUITY (Page 2 of 2) For the Year Ended December 31, 1996 (000's omitted) Vanguard Templeton Index AIM Foreign Stable Employee Trust 500 Constellation Equity Value Loan Fund Fund Fund Fund Fund Total ---------- ---------- -------- -------- -------- -------- Investment income: Net unrealized (depreciation) appreciation in fair value of investments $ 642 $ 688 $ 204 $ - $ - $ (4,533) Net realized gains on sales of investments 12 25 4 - - 4,383 Interest and dividends 97 272 114 2,692 - 5,643 ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- -------- Total investment (loss) income 751 985 322 2,692 - 5,493 Employee contributions 120 297 72 3,411 - 7,564 Employee rollovers 559 864 310 5,830 184 10,489 Employer incentive match contribution - - - - - 972 Interest on employee loans - - - - 538 538 ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- -------- Total additions 1,430 2,146 704 11,933 722 25,056 ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- -------- Employee withdrawals (155) (204) (55) (3,714) - (7,248) ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- -------- Net transfers between funds 3,652 6,418 2,187 (5,690) 1,785 - ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- -------- Net (decrease) increase in assets 4,927 8,360 2,836 2,529 2,507 17,808 Net assets at beginning of year - - - 37,405 5,672 114,684 ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- -------- Net assets at end of year $ 4,927 $ 8,360 $2,836 $39,934 $ 8,179 $132,492 ======= ======= ====== ======= ======= ======== See notes to financial statements. 12 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS December 31, 1997 NOTE A -- SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES The financial statements of the Echlin Incentive and Savings Investment Plan ("Plan") have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting. Investments are stated at their fair market value. The fair market value of the Putnam Voyager Fund, Putnam New Opportunities Fund, Dodge & Cox Balanced Fund, Vanguard Index Trust 500 Fund, AIM Constellation Fund, and Templeton Foreign Equity Fund are based on the Plan's share of each fund's net asset value on the last business day of the plan year. The Stable Value Fund represents investments in pooled fixed income funds plus interest earned. The Echlin Stock Fund is valued at the average of the high and low price for Echlin Inc. ("Company") common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the last trading day of the plan year. Realized gains and losses on sales of investments are determined using the average cost method. NOTE B -- DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN The Plan was established on March 1, 1984 to enable employees to defer a portion of their compensation on a pre-tax basis, thereby deferring federal income tax in the year in which the deferrals are made and providing savings to supplement retirement income to the employee. Putnam Fiduciary Trust Company serves as "Trustee" for the Plan and as custodian of the investments. As of January 1, 1998, Chase Manhattan Bank will become Trustee for the Plan and custodian of the investments. Each employee who is in a covered class of employees within a participating division, has attained age 21 and has one year of service is eligible to participate in the Plan. An employee may elect to have between 1 to 15 percent of his or her compensation, as defined in the Plan document, up to the 1997 maximum elective deferral amount of $9,500 as determined under Section 402(g) of the Internal Revenue Code, contributed to their account. Contributions for some participants may be further limited as a result of other Internal Revenue Code requirements. If at the end of its fiscal year the Company has consolidated net income for the current year or accumulated consolidated net income from prior years, the Company will match all or a portion of each eligible participant's contributions for the plan year that are based on the first 6 percent of the participant's compensation ("basic contribution"). The Company's minimum matching contribution will be based on its return on assets, as 13 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) December 31, 1997 NOTE B -- DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN (CONTINUED) defined in the Plan agreement, and will range from 1 percent of an employee's basic contribution (if the return on assets is 6.1 percent) to 100 percent of the basic contribution (if the return on assets is 16 percent or more). Matching contributions made by the Company will be invested solely in common stock of the Company. Participants' accounts are fully vested at all times to the extent of employee contributions. An active participant upon retirement, disability, as defined in the Plan, or death will be fully vested in the value of the Company's incentive matching contributions credited to his or her account regardless of his or her years of continuous service. A participant with less than 5 years of continuous service will be vested in the Company's incentive matching contributions credited to his or her account on the last day of the third plan year following the plan year for which the match was made. Once a participant has 5 or more years of continuous service with the Company, the entire balance of matching contributions credited to the participant's account and each such contribution made to his or her account thereafter is immediately 100 percent vested. Loans to participants and loan repayments are included in "Net transfers between funds" in the Statement of Income and Changes in Participants' Equity. Participants may borrow from their account balance in the Plan with the loan being repaid through payroll deductions. The interest rate, which is fixed for the term of the loan, is based upon the average interest rate for secured personal loans for the following three banks: First National Bank of Chicago, Fleet National Bank, and Trust Company of Georgia, rounded to the nearest half percent at the time the loan is taken out. In addition, a participant may withdraw vested funds from his or her account if it is demonstrated that a hardship, as defined under the Internal Revenue Code, exists. The Plan's investment options are in eight investment funds. The eight funds are: The Echlin Stock Fund (invested in Echlin Inc. common stock), a Stable Value Fund (invested in pooled fixed income contracts), the Dodge & Cox Balanced Fund (a mutual fund), the Vanguard Index Trust 500 Fund (invested in the stocks listed on S & P 500 Index), the AIM Constellation Fund (invested in the AIM Constellation Mutual Fund), the Putnam New Opportunities Fund (invested in the Putnam New Opportunities, Class A mutual fund), 14 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) December 31, 1997 NOTE B -- DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN (CONTINUED) the Putnam Voyager Fund (invested in the Putnam Voyager Fund, Class A mutual fund) and the Templeton Foreign Equity Fund (invested in the Templeton Foreign Equity Mutual Fund). The Putnam Investors Fund and the Putnam Daily Dividend Fund ceased as investment options during 1995. Balances in these funds were transferred to other investment options in 1996 based upon employee elections. An employee may choose to invest his or her contribution in any or all of the foregoing funds. On a monthly basis an employee may amend future and past investment allocations. Information pertaining to the earnings objectives and performance results for these funds can be requested from the Company's Human Resource department. In addition, participants are provided with quarterly statements summarizing activity in their accounts. As of December 31, 1997 there were 14,032 participants in the Plan. The Employee Benefits Committee ("Plan Administrator") is responsible for the administration of the Plan. Liability of the Company for acts or omissions of any member of the Committee will be limited to amounts not covered by insurance and not payable by the trust under applicable law. The Company may, by action of its Board of Directors, amend or terminate the Plan without shareholder approval at any time. The Committee may also amend the Plan if necessary for tax qualification or legal compliance, to carry out its duties under the Plan. In the event of termination of the Plan, assets will be distributed in accordance with the terms of the Plan agreement. Fees and expenses incurred by the Plan Administrator and the Trustee in connection with the operation of the Plan will be paid from the Plan, if not paid by the Company. For the years ended December 31, 1997 and 1996 all fees and expenses of the Plan were paid by the company. NOTE C -- INCOME TAX STATUS The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that the Plan, as amended through January 1, 1994, qualifies under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and therefore the related plan trust is not subject to tax under present tax laws. 15 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) December 31, 1997 NOTE D -- ASSETS HELD FOR INVESTMENT Assets held for investment at December 31, 1997 and 1996 consist of the following: December 31, 1997 Fair - ----------------- Shares Market (000's omitted) or Units Value Cost -------- ------- -------- Mutual Funds: Putnam New Opportunities 325 $ 15,813 $12,938 Putnam Voyager Equity 1,540 29,340 19,699 Dodge & Cox Balanced 96 6,400 5,682 Vanguard Index Trust 500 112 10,093 7,786 AIM Constellation 366 9,655 8,823 Templeton Foreign Equity 407 4,054 4,148 -------- ------- 75,355 59,076 -------- ------- Stable Value Fund: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company 2,956 2,956 2,956 Prudential Insurance Co. of America 3,655 3,655 3,655 Principal Mutual Life Insurance Company 6,251 6,251 6,251 New York Life Insurance Company 6,231 6,231 6,231 INVESCO Stable Value Fund 23,640 23,641 23,640 -------- ------- 42,734 42,733 -------- ------- Echlin Stock Fund: Echlin Inc. Common Stock 835 30,005 20,018 -------- -------- Total investments $148,094 $121,827 ======== ======== 16 ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) December 31, 1997 NOTE D -- ASSETS HELD FOR INVESTMENT (CONTINUED) December 31, 1996 Fair - ----------------- Shares Market (000's omitted) or Units Value Cost -------- ------- -------- Mutual Funds: Putnam New Opportunities 342 $ 13,880 $13,089 Putnam Voyager Equity 1,450 23,381 16,900 Dodge & Cox Balanced 69 4,103 3,800 Vanguard Index Trust 500 71 4,881 4,239 AIM Constellation 328 8,284 7,595 Templeton Foreign Equity 268 2,781 2,578 -------- ------- 57,310 48,201 -------- ------- Stable Value Fund: Allstate Life Insurance Company 5,286 5,286 5,286 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company 5,504 5,504 5,504 John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance 6,679 6,679 6,679 Prudential Insurance Co. of America 3,455 3,455 3,455 Principal Mutual Life Insurance Company 5,911 5,911 5,911 New York Life Insurance Company 5,760 5,760 5,760 INVESCO Stable Value Fund 7,428 7,428 7,428 -------- ------- 40,023 40,023 -------- ------- Echlin Stock Fund: Echlin Inc. Common Stock 838 26,495 19,063 -------- -------- Total investments $123,828 $107,287 ======== ======== 17 Schedule A ---------- ECHLIN INCENTIVE AND SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN SCHEDULE OF REPORTABLE TRANSACTIONS December 31, 1997 (000's omitted) Average Sales Realized Purchases Cost Proceeds Gain --------- -------- -------- -------- INVESCO Stable Value Fund $23,557 - $(20,845) - 18 SIGNATURE --------- Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Plan Administrator of the Echlin Incentive and Savings Investment Plan has duly caused this annual report to be signed by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. Echlin Incentive and Savings Investment Plan Date: April 27, 1998 /s/ Joseph A. Onorato --------------------------------- Joseph A. Onorato Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 19 Exhibit A CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS ---------------------------------- We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements on Form S-8 (Nos. 2-92426 and 33-15814) of our report dated April 22, 1998 appearing on page 4 of the Annual Report of the Echlin Incentive and Savings Investment Plan on Form 11-K for the year ended December 31, 1997. /s/ Price Waterhouse LLP - ------------------------ Price Waterhouse LLP Stamford, Connecticut May 13, 1998 20