UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                           Washington, D.C.  20549


                                  FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

 X  ANNUAL  REPORT  PURSUANT  TO SECTION 13 OF THE  SECURITIES  EXCHANGE  ACT OF
- ---
    1934 FOR THE YEAR ENDED  DECEMBER  31,  1997, OR

    TRANSITION  REPORT  PURSUANT TO  SECTION 13 OF THE  SECURITIES EXCHANGE  ACT
- ---
    OF 1934 FOR THE  TRANSITION  PERIOD  FROM _________ TO __________





GMAC 1997-A GRANTOR TRUST                               333-06039
- ------------------------------                       ---------------
(Exact name of registrants as                        Commission file
  specified in its charter)                               number


A National Banking Association                          36-0899825
- -------------------------------                    ----*--------------
(State or other jurisdiction of                      (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)                     Identification No.)

c/o The First National Bank of Chicago
One First National Plaza,
Suite 0126, Chicago, Illinois                           60670-0126
- ---------------------------------------                 ----------
(Address of principal executive office)                  (Zip Code)


Registrants' telephone number, including area code 312-732-4000
                                                   ------------

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:  (None)
Section 12(g) of the Act:  (None).

Indicate by check mark whether each of the registrants (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the  preceding 12 months,  and (2) has been subject to such filing  requirements
for the past 90 days. Yes X   No   .
                         ---    ---




                                     PART I


ITEM 1. BUSINESS

The GMAC  1997-A  Grantor  Trust  (the  "Trust")  was  formed  by  Capital  Auto
Receivables, Inc.(the "Seller") by selling and assigning the receivables and the
security  interests in the vehicles  financed thereby to The First National Bank
of Chicago,  as Trustee,  in exchange for Class A and Class B Certificates.  The
Class A  Certificates  were  remarketed to the public and represent an undivided
ownership  interest in the Trust that equals  93.75%.  The Class B  Certificates
were not  offered to the public  and were held by the  Seller and  represent  an
undivided  ownership  interest in the Trust that equals 6.25%.  The right of the
Class  B  Certificateholders  to  receive  distribution  of the  receivables  is
subordinated  to the rights of the Class A  Certificateholders.  For any further
information,  refer to Prospectus  Supplement dated April 8, 1997 and Supplement
to Prospectus Supplement dated April 11, 1997.





                                     PART II

ITEM 7.  MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
         AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The Grantor Trust,  listed in the table shown below,  was formed by Capital Auto
Receivables,  Inc. (the "Seller") pursuant to a Pooling and Servicing  Agreement
between the Seller, The First National Bank of Chicago, as Trustee,  and General
Motors Acceptance  Corporation,  as Servicer.  The Trust acquired retail finance
receivables  from the Seller in the aggregate  amount as shown below in exchange
for Certificates  representing  undivided  ownership interests in the Trust. The
Trust's property includes a pool of retail installment sale contracts secured by
new and used  automobiles  and light trucks,  certain  monies due thereunder and
security interests in the vehicles financed thereby.

The  Certificates  for  the  Trust  consist  of  two  classes,   entitled  6.50%
Asset-Backed Certificates, Class A and 6.50% Asset-Backed Certificates, Class B.
The Class A  Certificates  represent in the  aggregate  an  undivided  ownership
interest in the Trust that equals 93.75%. The Class B Certificates  represent in
the  aggregate an undivided  ownership  interest in the Trust that equals 6.25%.
Only the Class A Certificates  have been  remarketed to the public.  The Class B
Certificates have not been offered to the public and are held by the Seller. The
rights of the Class B  Certificateholder  to receive monthly  distributions with
respect  to the  receivables  are  subordinated  to the  rights  of the  Class A
Certificateholders.


                                           Original Aggregate Amount
                                   -------------------------------------------
                Date of Pooling       Retail     Asset-Backed     Certificates
Grantor          and Servicing       Finance     -----------------------------
 Trust             Agreement        Receivables      Class A        Class B
- -------         ---------------    -------------  -------------  -------------
                                            (in millions of dollars)


GMAC 1997-A     April 15, 1997         1,502.3        1,408.4         93.9

 


General Motors Acceptance Corporation, the originator of the retail receivables,
continues to service the  receivables for the  aforementioned  Grantor Trust and
receives  compensation  and fees for such services.  Investors  receive  monthly
payments of the pro rata portion of principal and interest received by the Trust
as the receivables are liquidated.

                            ------------------------





                                      II-1


ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.


                         CROSS REFERENCE SHEET

Exhibit No.                    Caption                               Page
- -----------   ----------------------------------------------------   ------


     --       GMAC 1997-A Grantor Trust, Independent Auditors' 
              Report, Financial Statements and Selected Quarterly
              Data for the period April 15, 1997 (inception)
              through December 31, 1997.                              II-3



     27.1     Financial Data Schedule for GMAC 1997-A Grantor
              Trust (for SEC electronic filing purposes only).        --












                                      II-2





INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT


The GMAC 1997-A Grantor Trust, its Certificateholders, Capital Auto Receivables,
Inc., and The First National Bank of Chicago, Trustee:

We have audited the accompanying  Statement of Assets and Undivided Interests of
the GMAC 1997-A Grantor Trust as of December 31, 1997, and the related Statement
of  Distributable  Income for the period April 15, 1997 (date of  inception)  to
December 31, 1997.  These  financial  statements are the  responsibility  of the
Trust's  management.  Our  responsibility  is to  express  an  opinion  on these
financial statements based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
Those standards  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.  An audit also includes
assessing the  accounting  principles  used and  significant  estimates  made by
management,  as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

As described in Note 1 to the financial  statements,  these financial statements
were  prepared  on the  basis of cash  receipts  and  disbursements,  which is a
comprehensive  basis of  accounting  other than  generally  accepted  accounting
principles.

In our  opinion,  such  financial  statements  present  fairly,  in all material
respects,  the assets and undivided  interests arising from cash transactions of
the GMAC 1997-A Grantor Trust at December 31, 1997 and its distributable  income
and  distributions for the period April 15, 1997 (date of inception) to December
31, 1997, on the basis of accounting described in Note 1.



s\ Deloitte & Touche LLP
- -------------------------
Deloitte & Touche LLP
600 Renaissance Center
Detroit, Michigan

March 11, 1998











                                      II-3




                            GMAC 1997-A GRANTOR TRUST

                   STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND UNDIVIDED INTERESTS



                                                       December 31,1997
                                                      ------------------
ASSETS                                             (in millions of dollars)

Receivables (Note 2) ................................      $ 1,054.9
                                                           ---------

TOTAL ASSETS ........................................      $ 1,054.9
                                                           =========


UNDIVIDED INTERESTS

Asset-Backed Certificates
  (Notes 2 and 3) ..................................       $ 1,054.9
                                                           ---------

TOTAL UNDIVIDED INTERESTS...........................       $ 1,054.9
                                                           =========




Reference should be made to the Notes to Financial Statements.












                                      II-4





                            GMAC 1997-A GRANTOR TRUST

                        STATEMENT OF DISTRIBUTABLE INCOME



                                                Period  Ended December 31, 1997*
                                                -------------------------------
                                                     (in millions of dollars)
Distributable Income

  Allocable to Principal ..........................        $ 447.4

  Allocable to Interest  ..........................           56.3
                                                           -------
Distributable Income ..............................        $ 503.7
                                                           =======

Income Distributed ................................        $ 503.7
                                                           =======



* Represents the period April 15, 1997 (inception) through December 31, 1997.



Reference should be made to the Notes to Financial Statements.












                                      II-5





                            GMAC 1997-A GRANTOR TRUST

                          NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1.  BASIS OF ACCOUNTING

The  financial  statements  of the GMAC 1997-A  Grantor  Trust (the "Trust") are
prepared on the basis of cash receipts and cash  disbursements.  Such  financial
statements  differ  from  financial   statements  prepared  in  accordance  with
generally accepted accounting principles in that interest income and the related
assets are recognized when received rather than when earned and distributions to
Certificateholders  are recognized  when paid rather than when the obligation is
incurred.  Certain  expenses of the Trust are paid by Capital Auto  Receivables,
Inc. (the "Seller").


NOTE 2.  SALE OF CERTIFICATES

On April 15,  1997,  the GMAC  1997-A  Grantor  Trust  acquired  retail  finance
receivables  aggregating  approximately  $1,502.3  million  from the  Seller  in
exchange for  Certificates  representing  undivided  ownership  interests in the
Trust  of  93.75%  for the  Class  A  Certificates  and  6.25%  for the  Class B
Certificates.  The Trust  property  includes a pool of retail  installment  sale
contracts  for new and used  automobiles  and light trucks,  certain  monies due
thereunder and security  interests in the vehicles financed thereby.  The Seller
has the option to repurchase the remaining receivables as of the last day of any
month  on or  after  which  the  principal  balance  declines  below  10% of the
aggregate amount financed.


NOTE 3.  PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS

Principal   (including   prepayments)   and  interest  are  passed  through  and
distributed  pro  rata  to  Class  A and  Class  B  Certificateholders  on  each
distribution date commencing May 15, 1997. Principal consists of payments on the
receivables  that are allocable to repayment of the amount sold as determined on
a constant  interest  rate basis (the  "actuarial  method").  Interest is passed
through and distributed to Class A Certificateholders at one-twelfth of the pass
through  rate  of  6.50%  per  annum.  Interest  consists  of  payments  on  the
receivables that are allocable to finance charges,  using the actuarial  method,
net of fees and  expenses.  The  rights  of the  Class B  Certificateholders  to
receive monthly  distributions  with respect to the receivables are subordinated
to the rights of the Class A  Certificateholders.  The distribution  date is the
15th day of each month (or,  if such 15th day is not a  business  day,  the next
following business day).


NOTE 4.  FEDERAL INCOME TAX

The Trust is  classified as a grantor  trust,  and therefore is not taxable as a
corporation  for federal  income tax purposes.  Each  Certificateholder  will be
treated as the owner of a pro rata undivided interest in each of the receivables
in the Trust.













                                      II-6



                            GMAC 1997-A GRANTOR TRUST

                    SUPPLEMENTARY FINANCIAL DATA (unaudited)

                    SUMMARY OF QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTABLE INCOME





1997 Quarters                           Principal   Interest    Total
- -----------------------------------     ---------   --------    --------
                                            (in millions of dollars)

Second Quarter*.....................    $  118.5    $  15.9     $  134.4

Third Quarter ......................    $  169.8    $  21.6     $  191.4

Fourth Quarter .....................    $  159.1    $  18.8     $  177.9
                                        --------    -------     --------
     Total .........................    $  447.4    $  56.3     $  503.7
                                        ========    =======     ========


* Represents the period April 15, 1997 (inception) through June 30, 1997.











                                      II-7






                                     PART IV


ITEM 14. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K.


   (a) (1) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

           Included in Part II, Item 8, of Form 10-K.

   (a) (2) FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.

           All schedules  have been omitted  because they are not  applicable or
           because  the  information  called  for  is  shown  in  the  financial
           statements or notes thereto.

   (a) (3) EXHIBITS (Included in Part II of this report).

           -- GMAC 1997-A  Grantor  Trust  Financial  Statements  for the period
              April 15, 1997 (inception) through December 31, 1997.

   (b)     REPORTS ON FORM 8-K.

           No  current  reports  on Form 8-K have been  filed  by the Trust from
           inception through December 31, 1997.

ITEMS 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9,  10,  11,  12 and 13 are not  applicable  and have  been
omitted.













                                      IV-1




                                    SIGNATURE


Pursuant to the  requirements  of Section 13 of the  Securities  Exchange Act of
1934,  the Trustee has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.




                                      GMAC 1997-A GRANTOR TRUST


                                  The First National Bank of Chicago
                                              (Trustee)



                                s/ John G. Finley
                                  ----------------------------------
                                  (John G. Finley, Vice President)


Date:    March 20, 1998
      ------------------












                                      IV-2