EXHIBIT 99.1

        AMI SEMICONDUCTOR ANNOUNCES INCREASED PENETRATION INTO REAL WORLD
                     APPLICATIONS FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE MARKET


           COMPANY CONTINUES GROWTH TREND IN BODY AND VEHICLE CONTROL

POCATELLO, IDAHO (OCTOBER 17, 2003) - AMIS Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: AMIS) parent
company of AMI Semiconductor, Inc., announces the Company's increased
penetration into real world applications for the automotive market focusing on
body and vehicle control.

In fiscal year 2002, AMIS recorded total pro forma automotive sales of $100.5
million or approximately 25 percent of total revenue. For the first six months
of FY2003 the company has recorded automotive sales of $56.6 million, which is
approximately a 16 percent increase from the same period in the previous year.

The European automotive market represented 52 percent of the total revenue in
FY2002 followed by North America with 30 percent and the remaining 18 percent
coming from other regions. AMIS sees the trend for 2003 to be consistent with
the growth in the European and American automotive sectors.

For the first six months of 2003, the largest demand was for body and vehicle
control applications accounting for 42 percent of total revenue, while AMIS also
had strong chip demand for driver information applications, which contributed 33
percent. Powertrain and safety and convenience applications were 15 percent and
6 percent, respectively.

"Our high voltage processes and sensor interface capabilities continue to enable
us to grow in our target applications within the automotive market," stated Bob
Klosterboer, senior vice president of integrated mixed-signal products. "We look

forward to continuing to provide high quality, versatile semiconductor solutions
that enable next generation applications for our automotive customers."

ABOUT AMI SEMICONDUCTOR

AMI Semiconductor (Nasdaq: AMIS) is a leader in the design and manufacture of
silicon solutions for the real world. As a widely recognized innovator in
state-of-the-art integrated mixed-signal semiconductor products, mixed-signal
foundry services and structured digital products, AMIS is committed to providing
customers in the automotive, medical and industrial markets with optimal value,
quick time-to-market semiconductor solutions. Offering unparalleled
manufacturing flexibility and dedication to customer service, AMI Semiconductor
operates globally with headquarters in Pocatello, Idaho, European corporate
offices in Oudenaarde, Belgium, and a network of sales and design centers
located in the key markets of the United States, Europe and the Asia Pacific
region.