Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (517) 543-6400

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act:
Common Stock, $.01 Par Value
(Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.               o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act).
Yes    X            No         

The aggregate market value of the registrant's voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the last sales price of such stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market on June 30, 2002, was $163,559,024.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date. Common Stock, $.01 par value, outstanding as of February 18, 2003: 12,129,477 shares

Documents Incorporated by Reference
Portions of the definitive proxy statement for the Company's May 28, 2003 annual meeting of shareholders are incorporated by reference in Part III.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Form 10-K contains statements that are not historical facts. These statements are called "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements involve important known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and can be identified by phrases using "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "project," "expect," "intend," "predict," "potential," "future," "may," "should" and similar expressions or words. Our future results, performance or achievements may differ materially from the results, performance or achievements discussed in the forward-looking statements. There are numerous factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in forward-looking statements, including:

This list provides examples of factors that could affect the results described by forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K. However, this list is not intended to be exhaustive; many other factors could impact our business and it is impossible to predict with any accuracy which factors could result in which negative impacts. Although we believe that the forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K are reasonable, we cannot provide you with any guarantee that the anticipated results will be achieved. All forward-looking statements in this Form 10-K are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this section and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K. In addition to the risks listed above, other risks may arise in the future, and we disclaim any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement.

PART I

Item 1.          Business.

General

Spartan Motors, Inc. (the "Company") was organized as a Michigan corporation on September 18, 1975, and is headquartered in Charlotte, Michigan. The Company began development of its first product that same year and shipped its first fire truck chassis in October 1975.

The Company is known as a world leading, niche market engineer and manufacturer in the heavy duty, custom vehicles marketplace. During 2002, the Company had four wholly owned subsidiaries: Spartan Motors Chassis, Inc., located at the corporate headquarters in Charlotte, Michigan ("Spartan Motors Chassis"); Luverne Fire Apparatus Co., Ltd., located in Brandon, South Dakota ("Luverne"); Quality Manufacturing, Inc., located in Talladega, Alabama ("Quality"); and Road Rescue, Inc., located in St. Paul, Minnesota ("Road Rescue"). Effective January 1, 2003, Luverne and Quality were combined by merger into a newly named entity, Crimson Fire, Inc. ("Crimson").

Spartan Motors Chassis is a leading designer, engineer and manufacturer of custom heavy-duty chassis. The chassis consist of a frame assembly, engine, transmission, electrical system, running gear (wheels, tires, axles, suspension and brakes) and, for fire trucks and some specialty chassis applications, a cab. Chassis customers are original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") who complete their heavy-duty vehicle product by mounting the body or apparatus on the Company's chassis. Luverne, Quality and Road Rescue engineer and manufacture emergency vehicles built on chassis platforms purchased from either Spartan Motors Chassis or outside sources.

The Company's business strategy is to further diversify product lines and develop innovative design, engineering and manufacturing expertise in order to be the best value producer of custom vehicle products in both the national and international marketplace. Spartan Motors Chassis sells its custom chassis to three principal markets: fire truck, motorhome and specialty vehicles. Spartan Motors Chassis focuses on certain custom niches within its three principal markets and believes that opportunities for growth remain strong for custom-built chassis and vehicles in each market.

The Company is an innovative team focused on building lasting relationships with its customers. This is accomplished by striving to deliver premium custom vehicles and services that inspire customer enthusiasm. The Company believes that it can best carry out its long-term business plan and obtain optimal financial flexibility by using a combination of borrowings under the Company's credit facilities, as well as internally or externally generated equity capital, as sources of expansion capital.

The Company recognizes that annual unit sales of motorhome chassis have been substantially greater than that of the Company's other two principal chassis markets. Thus, in the past few years, management has placed special emphasis on further market penetration in the fire truck market and diversification into the specialty chassis market.

In January 1997, the Company acquired a 33 1/3% interest in Carpenter Industries, Inc. ("Carpenter"), a manufacturer of school bus bodies, headquartered in Richmond, Indiana. The Company increased its ownership twice, to 49.9% in October of 1998 and then to 57.6% in November of 1999. On September 28, 2000, the Company's Board of Directors voted to cease funding of Carpenter. The Board of Directors of Carpenter then passed a resolution on September 29, 2000 to begin the wind-down and orderly liquidation of Carpenter. As a result, beginning in the third quarter of 2000, this separate segment of the Company's business has been reported as a discontinued operation. The liquidation of Carpenter was substantially completed in the fourth quarter of 2001.

The Company's Segments

The Company is organized into two principal groups, the Chassis Group and the Emergency Vehicle Team ("EVTeam"). For certain financial information related to each group, see Note 12, Business Segments, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements appearing in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, which is herein incorporated by reference.

Chassis Group

The Chassis Group consists of Spartan Motors Chassis. Sales by the Chassis Group made up 80.4%, 76.6% and 80.4% of the Company's consolidated sales for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively. Ninety-eight percent of the components used by the Chassis Group to manufacture its products are commercially available products purchased from outside suppliers. This strategy allows the Chassis Group, and its OEM customers and end users, to service finished products with ease, control production costs and expedite the development of new products. The Chassis Group manufactures chassis only upon receipt of confirmed purchase orders; thus, it does not have significant amounts of completed product inventory.

The Chassis Group has extensive engineering experience in creating chassis for vehicles that perform specialized tasks. The Chassis Group engineers, manufactures and markets chassis for fire trucks, motorhomes and specialty applications such as ambulances, airport sweepers, utility trucks and crash-rescue vehicles. As a specialized chassis producer, the Chassis Group believes that it holds a unique position for continued growth due to its engineering reaction time, manufacturing expertise and flexibility. This allows the Chassis Group to profitably manufacture custom chassis with a specialized design that will serve customer needs more efficiently and economically than a standard, commercially-produced chassis. The Chassis Group employs approximately 450 associates in Charlotte, Michigan.

Fire Truck Chassis

The Chassis Group custom manufactures fire truck chassis and cabs in response to exact customer specifications. These specifications vary based on such factors as application, terrain, street configuration and the nature of the community, state or country in which the fire truck will be utilized.

The Chassis Group strives to develop innovative engineering solutions to meet customer requirements, and designs new products anticipating the future needs of the marketplace. An example of this progressive approach is the mid-engine chassis. This revolutionary design provides the OEM a significant opportunity in floor plan flexibility and provides enhanced ride and handling for the driver. The Chassis Group continues to refine its Independent Front Suspension (IFS) system introduced to the motorhome market in 1997. An IFS places air bags as close to the wheel as possible, utilizing full air suspension cushions and a constant axle centerline, thus creating a superior ride, improved handling and greater stability. In addition, IFS reduces over-steer and under-steer, brake dive and wheel-to-wheel transfer of road shock to passengers and the body of the vehicle.

The Chassis Group monitors the availability of new technology and works closely with its component manufacturers to apply new technology to its products. For example, the Chassis Group helped introduce the Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine to the fire truck market, which is typically used in heavy-duty commercial applications. These engines allow fire trucks to have larger cab interiors because the pistons are configured in a straight line rather than in a V-shape. The Chassis Group also worked with Cummins Engine Co. on the introduction of the N-14 and M-11 engines. This collaboration resulted in attaining higher emission standards through charged air-cooled diesel engines. The Company also implemented the MD series and HD series Allison World Transmission, an improved wholly electronic automatic transmission design that provides better performance characteristics and improved service and maintenance capabilities.

The Chassis Group believes that the percentage of fire trucks manufactured with customized chassis will continue to increase. This is primarily due to the fact that customized chassis respond to customers' demands for increased safety features and offer more options and specific configurations when compared to standard, commercially produced fire truck chassis.

The National Fire Protection Association ("NFPA") adopts safety standards for fire trucks. NFPA standards typically add new requirements that are intended to increase the safety of fire fighters. Past NFPA standards have included the total enclosure of all crew-seating areas, establishment of maximum stepping heights on the apparatus and the provision of access hand rails. Although NFPA standards are not mandatory, past standards have

Motorhome Chassis

The Chassis Group custom manufactures chassis to the individual specifications of its motorhome chassis OEM customers. These specifications vary based on specific interior and exterior design specifications, power requirements, horsepower and electrical needs of the motorhome bodies to be attached to the Spartan chassis. The Chassis Group's motorhome chassis are separated into three major product series: (1) the "NVS" series chassis; (2) the "Mountain Master" series chassis; and (3) the "K-2" series chassis. These motorhome chassis are generally distinguished by differences in allowable vehicle weight, length, gross vehicle weight, engines, options and price. The Chassis Group designs and engineers modifications to these three basic product groups to meet customer requirements and to adapt the chassis to each OEM's specific manufacturing process. The Chassis Group continually seeks to develop innovative engineering solutions to customer requirements and strives to anticipate future market needs and trends by working closely with the OEMs and listening to the end users.

The Chassis Group recently developed a new motorhome chassis, the Me2, which is a mid-engine chassis featuring a rear-lift deck. The rear-lift deck, or traveling garage, provides extra storage space for bicycles, ATVs, canoes and other "toys" that complement the RV lifestyle. The mid-engine concept and rear-lift deck are in the patent process.

Technology that the Company plans to introduce for the 2003 model year is the newly engineered Spartan Active Ride. The Spartan Active Ride is designed to provide motorhome owners with improved cornering and handling by continually adjusting to the configuration of the road. Using a combination of hydraulics, electronic sensors and computer control, the Spartan Active Ride provides a tight, level and smooth motorhome ride, even when making high-speed turns or sudden stops. The Spartan Active Ride eliminates vehicle sway by applying the precise amount of force needed between the motorhome's chassis and the suspension system to keep it level through turns and lane changes, as well as on windy days. This force--which can be much higher than the conventional suspension permits--allows the motorhome to corner smoothly when conventional suspensions would not. The Company has exclusive license rights to this technology for three years from the date on which the Company approves the production system for commerci al use.

Specialty Vehicle Chassis

The Chassis Group continues to develop specialized chassis and actively seeks additional applications of its existing products and technology in the specialty vehicle market. The Company believes that this specialty product group continues to have strong sales growth potential in the world marketplace. With its experience in manufacturing chassis for cement mixers, airport tankers and other specialty uses, the Company believes it is well positioned to continue to take advantage of opportunities in this market.

EVTeam

The Company's EVTeam consists of its three wholly owned subsidiaries, Luverne, Quality and Road Rescue. Each of these companies engineers and manufactures emergency vehicles built on chassis platforms purchased from either the Chassis Group or outside sources. As mentioned earlier, effective January 1, 2003, Luverne and Quality were combined by merger into Crimson.

Luverne Fire Apparatus Co., Ltd.

Luverne engineers, manufactures and markets its custom and commercial fire apparatus products through a network of dealers throughout North America. Luverne's product lines include pumper and aerial fire apparatus. Luverne is recognized in the industry for its innovative design, engineering expertise and bringing the strength of "Tubular Stainless Steel" design to the emergency vehicle market. Luverne employs approximately 70 associates at its headquarters in Brandon, South Dakota.

Quality Manufacturing, Inc.

Quality engineers, manufactures and markets custom and commercially produced emergency vehicles at its headquarters in Talladega, Alabama. Approximately 60 associates produce pumper and aerial fire apparatus that are marketed through a dealer network covering North America. Quality focuses its efforts on high-end fire truck customers who desire to extend the life span of their emergency vehicles by purchasing premium products.

Road Rescue, Inc.

Road Rescue engineers, manufactures and markets premium, custom advanced-care ambulances and rescue vehicles at its headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota and its second plant located in Marion, South Carolina, which opened on May 1, 2002. Road Rescue is a market leader in the design and manufacturing of Type I, Type II and Type III advanced care ambulances. Road Rescue focuses primarily on medium-duty type vehicles, which represent one of the fastest growing segments of the emergency vehicle market. Road Rescue markets its products through a dealer network throughout the United States and Canada. Road Rescue employs approximately 160 associates.

Marketing

The Chassis Group markets its custom manufactured chassis primarily through the direct contact of its sales department with OEMs, dealers and end users. The EVTeam maintains dealer organizations that establish close working relationships through their sales departments with end users. These personal contacts focus on the quality of the group's custom products and allow the Company to keep customers updated on new and improved product lines and end users' needs.

In 2002, representatives from the Company attended trade shows, rallies and expositions throughout North America to promote its products. Trade shows provide the opportunity to display products and to meet directly with OEMs who purchase chassis, dealers who sell finished vehicles and consumers who buy the finished product. Participation in these events also allows the Company to learn what customers and end users are looking for in the future. The Company uses these events to create a competitive advantage by relaying this information back to its research and development engineering groups for future development purposes.

The Company's sales and marketing team is responsible for marketing its manufactured goods and producing product literature. The sales group consists of 10 salespeople based in Charlotte, Michigan and 16 salespeople located throughout North America, including the independent sales forces of Luverne, Quality and Road Rescue.

Competition

The principal methods of competitive advantages utilized by the Company include shorter engineering reaction time, custom design capability, higher product quality, superior customer service and faster speed of delivery. The Company competes with companies that manufacture chassis for similar markets, including some divisions of large diversified organizations that have total sales and financial resources exceeding those of the Company. Certain competitors are vertically integrated and manufacture their own commercial chassis and/or apparatuses, although they generally do not sell their chassis to outside customers (other OEMs). The Company's direct competitors in the specialty chassis and emergency vehicle apparatus markets are principally smaller manufacturers.

Because of the lack of reliable published statistics, the Company is unable to state with certainty its position in the market compared to its competition. The emergency vehicle market and, to a lesser degree, the custom chassis market are fragmented. The Company believes that no one company has a dominant position in either market.

Manufacturing

The Chassis Group has four principal assembly facilities in Charlotte, Michigan for its custom chassis products. Due to the custom nature of its business, the Company's chassis cannot be manufactured efficiently on automated assembly lines. Generally, the Chassis Group designs, engineers and assembles its specialized heavy-duty truck chassis using commercially available components purchased from outside suppliers rather than producing

The EVTeam products are manufactured and assembled in each of the subsidiaries' respective manufacturing facilities, represented by four plants in total. The chassis for the products are purchased from the Chassis Group and from outside commercially produced chassis manufacturers. The EVTeam facilities do not use fully automated assembly lines since each vehicle is manufactured to meet specifications of an end user customized order. The chassis is rolled down the assembly line as other components are added and connected. The body is manufactured at the facility with components such as pumps, tanks, aerial ladders and electrical control units purchased from outside suppliers.

The Company believes that the assembly facilities of its subsidiaries are sufficient to meet expected production levels. Any further capacity increases can be achieved at a relatively low cost, largely by increasing the number of production associates or adding additional shifts.

Suppliers

An important strategy in the Company's product development has been its ability to purchase quality sub-assemblies and parts from some of the leading automotive parts suppliers in the country. Major component suppliers include Cummins Engine Co., Allison Division of General Motors Corporation, Tuthill Transport Technologies, Arvin-Meritor, Inc., St. Clair Technologies, Marion Body Works, Inc., Thomas Fabrication & Design, and Michelin Tire Corporation. The Company is able to better control production costs due to its high volume purchasing power with these component suppliers. The additional joint volume buying power of the Company's subsidiaries has helped to further control and reduce per piece component costs.

Research and Development

The Company's success depends on its ability to respond quickly to changing market demands and new regulatory requirements. Thus, it emphasizes research and development and commits significant resources to develop and adapt new products and production techniques. The Company devotes a portion of its facilities to research and development projects and focuses on implementing the latest technology from component manufacturers into existing products and manufacturing prototypes of new product lines. For more information concerning the Company's expenditures on research and development, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," appearing in Item 7 of this Form 10-K. New products that the Company has recently introduced or plans to introduce in the near future are discussed elsewhere in this Item 1.

Product Warranties

The Company's subsidiaries all provide limited warranties against assembly/construction defects. These warranties generally provide for the replacement or repair of defective parts or workmanship for a specified period following the date of sale. The end users also may receive limited warranties from suppliers of components that are incorporated into the Company's chassis and vehicles. For more information concerning the Company's product warranties, see Note 10, Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements appearing in this Form 10-K.

Patents, Trademarks, Licenses and Franchises

The Company has one United States patent which expires in 2016, subject to the payment of required maintenance fees. The Company also owns one United States copyright registration, one United States trademark registration, and two United States service mark registrations, as well as one trademark registration in each of Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and Papua New Guinea. The trademark and service mark registrations are generally renewable under applicable laws, subject to payment of required fees and the filing of affidavits of use.

The Company believes its products are identified by the Company's trademarks and that its trademarks are valuable assets. The Company is not aware of any infringing uses or any prior claims of ownership of its trademarks that could materially affect its business.

Environmental Matters

Compliance with federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations has not had, nor is it expected to have, a material effect on the Company's capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position.

Associates

The Company and its subsidiaries employed approximately 745 full-time associates as of February 20, 2003. Management presently considers its relations with associates to be positive.

Customer Base

In 2002, the Company's customer base included two major customers. Sales in 2002 to Newmar Corp. ("Newmar") were $48.0 million and sales to Fleetwood Motor Homes of Indiana, Inc. ("Fleetwood") were $42.2 million. These numbers compare to sales of $36.7 million to Newmar and $23.7 million to Fleetwood in 2001 and $47.8 million to Newmar and $45.9 million to Fleetwood in 2000. Sales to customers classified as major amounted to 34.8%, 26.7% and 37.3% of total revenues in 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively. Although the loss of a major customer could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its future operating results, the Company believes that it has developed strong relationships with its customers.

Sales made to external customers outside the United States were $1.7 million, $2.3 million and $3.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively, or 0.7%, 1.0% and 1.4%, respectively, of sales for those years. With the exception of the facility in Queretaro, Mexico, all of the Company's long-lived assets are located in the United States.

Backlog Orders

At December 31, 2002, the Company had backlog orders for the Chassis Group of approximately $45.6 million, compared with a backlog of $44.0 million at December 31, 2001. At December 31, 2002, the Company had backlog orders for the EVTeam of $30.0 million compared, with a backlog of $31.7 million at December 31, 2001. The Company expects to fill all of the backlogs orders at December 31, 2002 during 2003.

Although the backlog of unfilled orders is one of many indicators of market demand, several factors, such as changes in production rates, available capacity, new product introductions and competitive pricing actions, may affect actual sales. Accordingly, a comparison of backlog from period to period is not necessarily indicative of eventual actual shipments.

Available Information

The Company's address of the Company's web site is www.spartanmotors.com. The Company is in the process of arranging to make its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other reports (and amendments thereto) filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act available on its web site as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company electronically files or furnishes such materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission. However, the Company's web site does currently contain a link to freeedgar.com, where interested persons can view such materials without charge. Also, in the meantime, paper copies of these materials are available without charge upon written request to James W. Knapp, Spartan Motors, Inc., 1165 Reynolds Road, Charlotte, Michigan 48813.

Item 2.          Properties.

The following table sets forth information concerning the properties owned or leased by the Company. The Company believes that its facilities are suitable for their intended purposes and adequate to meet its requirements for the foreseeable future.

*Currently idle

Item 3.          Legal Proceedings.

At December 31, 2002, the Company and its subsidiaries were parties, both as plaintiff or defendant, to a number of lawsuits and claims arising out of the normal conduct of their businesses. In the opinion of management, the

Item 4.          Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

During the fourth quarter of 2002, no matters were submitted to a vote of security holders, through the solicitation of proxies or otherwise.

PART II

Item 5.          Market For Registrant's Common Stock and Related Shareholder Matters.

The Company's common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol "SPAR."

The following table sets forth the high and low sale prices for the Company's common stock for the periods indicated, all as reported by The Nasdaq Stock Market:

The Company declared cash dividends of $0.06 per outstanding share on October 8, 2002, $0.10 per outstanding share on May 6, 2002 and $0.07 per outstanding share on May 14, 2001, to shareholders of record on October 25, 2002, May 28, 2002 and May 29, 2001, respectively.

The number of shareholders of record (excluding participants in security position listings) of the Company's common stock on February 18, 2003 was 654.

See Item 12 below for information concerning the Company's equity compensation plans.

Item 6.          Selected Financial Data.

The selected financial data shown below for the Company for each of the five years in the period ended December 31, 2002 has been derived from the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company. The following data should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes thereto and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in this Form 10-K.

Five-Year Operating and Financial Summary
(In Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Share Data)

The five-year summary above should be read in conjunction with Note 11, Discontinued Operations, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements appearing in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Item 7.          Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following section provides a narrative discussion about the Company's financial condition and results of operations. The comments that follow should be read in conjunction with the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes thereto appearing in this Form 10-K.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the components of the Company's consolidated statements of operations, on an actual basis, as a percentage of revenues:

          Year Ended December 31, 2002 compared to Year Ended December 31, 2001

Continuing Operations

For the year ended December 31, 2002, consolidated sales increased $33.3 million (14.7%) over the amount reported for the previous year. This increase is largely due to a $35.3 million (20.4%) increase in Chassis Group sales, offset by a $5.8 million (8.4%) decrease in EVTeam sales. The decrease in EVTeam sales is primarily due to lower tax revenues at the state and local levels, translating into tighter budgets and, in some cases, reduced spending on capital assets. This resulted in slightly lower ambulance and fire apparatus deliveries in the latter part of 2002. Lower sales from the Chassis Group to the EVTeam caused intercompany sales to decrease $3.7 million (23.2%) over the prior year. In the prior year, the EVTeam filled two large orders, one for the City of Atlanta and the other for the City of Chicago, all built on Chassis Group product. Intercompany sales are eliminated from the consolidated sales totals.

Within the Chassis Group, the motorhome chassis line had sales increase 36.9% over the 2001 fiscal year. The recreational vehicle industry had a strong year in 2002, propelled by lower interest rates, less travel abroad and by travelers opting for road versus air travel. Also contributing to the increase in sales was an increase in high-end motorhome chassis product sales, which grew 126.1% in 2002 over 2001.

The Chassis Group's other primary product line, fire truck chassis, had a decline of 7.6% in sales for the year ended December 31, 2002 over the year ended December 31, 2001. The launch of the Chassis Group's new Gladiator Evolution, which was designed to meet new engine emission standards, ramped up slowly to ensure quality standards were not compromised.

Transit bus chassis sales for 2002 decreased 100.0% over 2001, as the Company finished off its transit bus backlog in 2001. The Company decided during 2000 to transition out of the transit bus market. For the year ended December 31, 2002, sales of specialty chassis declined approximately 42.5%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2001. This is due to the Chassis Group's focus in 2002 on its two primary product lines, motorhome and fire truck chassis, due to the uncertainty of the domestic economy during the year.

Gross margin increased from 16.3% in 2001 to 17.7% in 2002. This is primarily due to improvements in productivity and a reduction in warranty costs. Higher sales volumes contributed to the greater efficiencies in production while improved product quality and reliability has translated to lower warranty expense.

Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased from 8.8% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2001 to 8.2% for the year ended December 31, 2002. In actual dollars, selling, general and administrative expenses were up 9.7% over the prior year. This increase is primarily due to increases in commercial and health insurance costs as well as higher incentive compensation expense. The increases in commercial and health insurance costs are due to unfavorable insurance markets, which are being experienced by many other companies.

The increase in the Company's income taxes is due to higher earnings before taxes in 2002 when compared to 2001. See Note 5, Taxes on Income, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding income taxes.

Net earnings from continuing operations increased to $11.4 million ($0.95 per diluted share) in 2002 from $6.0 million ($0.57 per diluted share) in 2001 as a result of the factors discussed above.

Discontinued Operations

On September 28, 2000, the Company's Board of Directors passed a resolution to cease funding of the Company's majority-owned subsidiary, Carpenter. Carpenter's Board of Directors then voted on September 29, 2000 to begin the orderly liquidation of Carpenter. Because Carpenter was a separate segment of the Company's business, the disposition of Carpenter's net assets is being accounted for as a discontinued operation. The $0.1 million gain and $0.3 million gain on disposal of Carpenter in 2001 and 2002, respectively, are a result of the Company's revision of its estimated loss to dispose of the business, based upon substantial completion of the liquidation.

          Year Ended December 31, 2001 compared to Year Ended December 31, 2000

Continuing Operations

For the year ended December 31, 2001, consolidated sales decreased $25.1 million (10.0%) over the amount reported for the previous year. This decrease was primarily due to a $28.8 million (14.3%) decrease in Chassis Group sales, offset by a $9.1 million (15.2%) increase in EVTeam sales. The increase in EVTeam sales was primarily due to older demographics in the United States, creating a higher demand for emergency vehicles. In addition, emergency vehicle markets are less impacted by swings in the economy. Higher sales from the Chassis Group to the EVTeam caused intercompany sales to increase $5.4 million (51.3%) over the prior year. The EVTeam was in the process of filling two large orders in 2001, one for the City of Atlanta and the other for the City of Chicago, all built on Chassis Group product. Intercompany sales are eliminated from the consolidated sales totals.

Within the Chassis Group, the motorhome chassis line had a sales decline of 18.7% over the 2000 fiscal year. The domestic economic recession, coupled with stock market uncertainty stemming from the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, contributed to the slower demand in the motorhome market in 2001.

The Chassis Group's other primary product line, fire truck chassis, had an increase of 4.6% in sales for the year ended December 31, 2001 over the year ended December 31, 2000. For the second year in a row, almost all of the fire truck chassis platforms experienced growth over the prior year due to a strong market.

Transit bus chassis sales for 2001 decreased 75.1% over 2000, as the Company wound down its transit bus backlog. The Company decided during 2000 to transition out of the transit bus market. For the year ended December 31, 2001, sales of specialty chassis declined approximately 59.7%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2000. This was due to the Chassis Group's focus in 2001 on its two primary product lines, motorhome and fire truck chassis.

Gross margin increased from 13.2% in 2000 to 16.3% in 2001. This was primarily due to changes in the levels of inventory write-offs and warranty claims. In 2000, the Company decided to exit the transit bus market, resulting in write-offs of obsolete chassis inventory related to transit buses. In 2001, the Company experienced better inventory monitoring by management and associates, resulting in lower inventory write-offs. In addition, improved product quality and reliability translated to lower warranty expense in 2001.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased from 7.5% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2000 to 8.8% for the year ended December 31, 2001. In actual dollars, selling, general and administrative expenses were up only 3.2%. This increase was primarily due to increases in commercial and health insurance costs as well as an increase in the Company's Michigan Single Business Tax (SBT). The increases in commercial and health insurance costs were due to unfavorable insurance markets, which were being experienced by many other companies. As the tax base for determining SBT requires the Company to add back employee benefit costs, the higher health insurance costs have also translated into a higher SBT expense over the prior year.

The increase in the Company's income taxes is due to higher earnings before taxes in 2001 when compared to 2000. See Note 5, Taxes on Income, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding income taxes.

Net earnings from continuing operations increased to $6.0 million ($0.57 per diluted share) in 2001 from $4.9 million ($0.43 per diluted share) in 2000 as a result of the factors discussed above.

Discontinued Operations

On September 28, 2000, the Company's Board of Directors passed a resolution to cease funding of the Company's majority-owned subsidiary, Carpenter. Carpenter's Board of Directors then voted on September 29, 2000 to begin the orderly liquidation of Carpenter. Because Carpenter was a separate segment of the Company's business, the disposition of Carpenter's net assets is being accounted for as a discontinued operation. The $3.9 million loss from operations of Carpenter reflects losses generated from operating the business segment during 2000 through September 29, 2000. The $0.1 million gain on disposal of Carpenter in 2001 is a result of the Company's revision of its estimated loss to dispose of the business, based upon substantial completion of the liquidation in the fourth quarter. The $6.6 million after-tax loss on disposal of Carpenter in 2000 resulted from the decision to initiate the orderly liquidation of Carpenter and this amount included approximately $1.8 million for anticipated operating losses d uring the phase-out period.

Quarterly Results

The Company's rate of sales growth has varied historically from quarter to quarter. For a description of quarterly financial data, see Note 13, Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited), of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements appearing in this Form 10-K.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

For the year ended December 31, 2002, cash provided by continuing operating activities was approximately $16.0 million, which was $6.0 million less than the $22.0 million of cash provided by continuing operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2001. Due primarily to an increase in sales, the Company's working capital increased by $6.1 million from $29.2 million in 2001 to $35.3 million in 2002. See the "Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows" contained in this Form 10-K for further information regarding the increase in cash and cash equivalents, from $4.2 million as of December 31, 2001, to $8.1 million as of December 31, 2002. See "Item 6--Selected Financial Data" for a five-year comparison of working capital.

Shareholders' equity increased approximately $19.5 million to $56.4 million as of December 31, 2002. This change is primarily the result of net earnings of $11.7 million and net proceeds from the exercise of stock options of $9.6 million, net of dividends of $1.8 million. See the "Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity" contained in this Form 10-K for further information regarding the changes in shareholders' equity.

The Company's primary line of credit is a $25.0 million revolving note payable to a bank that expires on October 15, 2003. The Company expects to extend or refinance this line of credit in 2003. Under the terms of the line of credit agreement, the Company is required to maintain certain financial ratios and other financial conditions. The agreement also prohibits the Company from incurring additional indebtedness, limits certain acquisitions, investments, advances or loans and restricts substantial asset sales. At December 31, 2002, the Company was in compliance with all debt covenants.

The Company also has a secured line of credit of $0.2 million and an unsecured line of credit of $1.0 million. The $0.2 million line carries an interest rate of 2% above the bank's prime rate (prime rate at December 31, 2002 was 4.25%) and has an expiration date of June 1, 2003. This line of credit is secured by accounts receivable, inventory and equipment. The $1.0 million line carries an interest rate of 1% above the bank's prime rate and expires only if there is a change in management. There were no borrowings on either of these lines at December 31, 2002 and 2001. The Company believes it has sufficient resources from cash flows from operating activities and, if necessary, from additional borrowings under its lines of credit to satisfy ongoing cash requirements for the next 12 months.

See Note 4, Leases, and Note 10, Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding the Company's future commitments under real estate leases and certain other obligations.

Critical Accounting Policies

The following discussion of accounting policies is intended to supplement Note 1, General and Summary of Accounting Policies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. These policies were selected because they are broadly applicable within the Company's operating units and they involve additional management judgment due to the sensitivity of the methods, assumptions and estimates necessary in determining the related income statement, asset and/or liability amounts.

Revenue Recognition - The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 101, Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements, as amended by SAB 101A and SAB 101B. Accordingly, revenue is recognized when title to the product and risk of ownership passes to the buyer. This occurs when the unit has been completed in accordance with purchase order specifications and has been tendered for delivery to the customer. Sales are shown net of returns, discounts and sales incentives, which historically have not been significant.

Inventory - Estimated inventory allowances for slow-moving and obsolete inventory are based upon current assessments about future demands, market conditions and related management initiatives. If market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory allowances may be required.

Warranties - The Company's policy is to record a provision for the estimated cost of warranty-related claims at the time of the sale, and periodically adjust the provision to reflect actual experience. The amount of warranty liability

Pending Accounting Policies

See "New Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted" in Note 1, General and Summary of Accounting Policies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K.

Effect of Inflation

Inflation affects the Company in two principal ways. First, the Company's debt, if any, is tied to the prime and LIBOR rates so that increases affecting interest rates may be translated into additional interest expense. Second, general inflation impacts prices paid for labor, parts and supplies. Whenever possible, the Company attempts to cover increased costs of production and capital by adjusting the prices of its products. However, the Company generally does not attempt to negotiate inflation-based price adjustment provisions into its contracts. Since order lead times can be as much as six months, the Company has limited ability to pass on cost increases to its customers on a short-term basis. In addition, the markets served by the Company are competitive in nature, and competition limits the pass through of cost increases in many cases. The Company strives to minimize the effect of inflation through cost reductions and improved productivity.

Item 7A.          Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

The Company's primary market risk exposure is a change in interest rates in connection with its outstanding variable rate short-term and long-term debt. However, at December 31, 2002, the Company had no debt outstanding under its variable rate short-term and long-term debt agreements. The Company does not enter into market risk sensitive instruments for trading purposes.

Item 8.          Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2002, 2001 AND 2000

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Supplemental disclosures: Cash paid for interest was $322,000, $1,450,000 and $2,104,000 for 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively.
Cash paid (refunds) for income taxes was $2,884,000, ($4,343,000) and $1,655,000 for 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1 - GENERAL AND SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Operations. Spartan Motors, Inc. (the "Company") is an international engineer and manufacturer of custom motor vehicle chassis and bodies. The Company's principal chassis markets are fire trucks, motorhomes and specialty vehicles. The Company has additional subsidiaries included in its consolidated financial statements that are manufacturers of bodies for various markets including fire trucks and ambulances.

Principles of Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its four wholly owned subsidiaries: Spartan Motors Chassis, Inc., Quality Manufacturing, Inc., Luverne Fire Apparatus Co., Ltd. and Road Rescue, Inc. Effective January 1, 2003, Luverne Fire Apparatus Co., Ltd. and Quality Manufacturing, Inc. were combined in a tax-free merger into a newly named entity, Crimson Fire, Inc. Carpenter Industries, Inc. ("Carpenter") is a 57.6% owned subsidiary that, effective September 29, 2000, is accounted for as a discontinued operation (see Note 11). All material intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

Financial Instruments. The Company values financial instruments as required by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 107, Disclosures about Fair Values of Financial Instruments. The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and long-term debt approximate fair value. The Company does not utilize derivative instruments.

Revenue Recognition. The Company recognizes revenue when title to its product passes to the customer. This occurs when production and testing of the product has been completed and the product has been tendered for delivery.

Shipping and Handling of Products. Costs incurred related to the shipment and handling of products are classified in cost of products sold. Amounts billed to customers for shipping and handling of products are included in net sales.

Use of Estimates. The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents include cash on hand, cash on deposit and money market funds. The Company considers all investments purchased with a maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Accounts Receivable. The Company performs periodic credit evaluations of its customers' financial condition and generally requires collateral. Receivables generally are due within 30 days and allowances are maintained for potential credit losses. Historically, such losses consistently have been within management's expectations.

Inventories are stated at the lower of first-in, first-out (FIFO) cost or market. During the fourth quarter of 2002, the Company changed its method of accounting for certain of its inventories that were previously valued using the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method to the FIFO method. The Company believes that the change is preferable to conform all inventories to the same inventory valuation method and to provide a better matching of expenses with revenues given relatively stable product costs over the past several years that have resulted in the value of inventories under the LIFO method to be approximately equal to their replacement cost on a FIFO basis. The effect of this change in method was not significant to all years and quarterly periods presented and disclosed in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, and therefore, previously reported amounts have not been retroactively restated.

Property, Plant and Equipment are stated at cost and are depreciated over their estimated useful lives using principally an accelerated method for both financial statement and income tax purposes. Estimated useful lives range from 20 to 31.5 years for buildings and improvements, 3 to 7 years for plant machinery and equipment, 3 to 7 years for furniture and fixtures and 3 to 5 years for vehicles.

SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

NOTE 1 - GENERAL AND SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Goodwill. As of January 1, 2002, the Company adopted the provisions of SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. SFAS No. 142 prohibits the amortization of goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives and requires the Company to evaluate these intangibles for impairment on an annual basis. In the first quarter of 2002, the Company completed the required initial impairment test of goodwill and, in the fourth quarter of 2002, completed the required annual impairment test as prescribed by SFAS No. 142 and determined that recorded goodwill was not impaired. The goodwill of the Company all relates to the EVTeam business segment.

If the nonamortization provisions of SFAS No. 142 had been applied in 2001 and 2000, amortization expense would have been reduced by $0.4 million in 2001 and 2000, resulting in an increase in net earnings from continuing operations per basic and diluted share of $0.04 in each of those years.

Taxes on Income. The Company recognizes income tax expense in accordance with SFAS No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes. A deferred tax liability or asset is recognized for the estimated future tax effects attributable to temporary differences as measured by provisions of enacted tax laws, and is subject to ongoing assessment of realizability.

Earnings Per Share. Basic earnings (loss) per share represents net earnings (loss) available to common shareholders divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings (loss) per share represents net earnings (loss) available to common shares outstanding divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the average dilutive effect of the Company's stock options outstanding during the period calculated. The effect of dilutive stock options was 521,000, 55,000 and 3,000 shares at December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively. For 2002, 2001 and 2000, 285,000, 1,937,000 and 2,698,000 shares related to stock option plans were not included in diluted weighted average common shares outstanding because their inclusion would be antidilutive.

Stock Options. At December 31, 2002, the Company has key employee, director and outside market advisor stock option plans, which are described in more detail in Note 9. The Company follows Accounting Principles Board (APB) Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, in accounting for its stock option plans. Under APB Opinion No. 25, no compensation expense is recognized because the exercise price of the Company's stock options equals the market price of the underlying stock on the date of grant. Had compensation cost for the Company's stock-based compensation plans been determined based on the fair value at the grant dates for awards under those plans consistent with the method of SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, the Company's net earnings (loss) and net earnings (loss) per share for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000, would have been the pro forma amounts indicated below.

SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

NOTE 1 - GENERAL AND SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Stock Options (continued). The estimated fair value of options granted was $5.52, $2.01 and $2.08 per share in 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively. The fair market value of options granted under the Company's stock option plans was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions used: