8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934




Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): SEPTEMBER 9, 2003


                             TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE INC.
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)





                                                                        
                    DELAWARE                              1-12387                         76-0515284
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)    (Commission File Number)    (IRS Employer Identification No.)






                                                           
   500 NORTH FIELD DRIVE, LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS                 60045
     (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                 (Zip Code)





Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (847) 482-5000




ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS AND REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE.

         On September 9, 2003, the Company issued a press release announcing
that it is continuing its Central and Eastern European expansion by opening a
manufacturing facility in Togliatti, Russia, approximately 1,000 kilometers
southeast of Moscow. This press release, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current
Report on Form 8-K, is incorporated herein by this reference.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.


Exhibit No.            Description
99.1                   Press release dated September 9, 2003





                                   SIGNATURES


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


                                        TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE INC.


Date: September 9, 2003                 By: /s/ KENNETH R. TRAMMELL
                                           ------------------------------
                                                KENNETH R. TRAMMELL
                                                Vice President and Controller






EXHIBIT INDEX

         Exhibit        Description
         Number

         99.1           Press Release dated September 9, 2003

EX-99.1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

                                                       [TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE LOGO]
NEWS RELEASE


          For Immediate Release

          Contacts:       Margie Pazikas
                          Europe Media Relations
                          32 (0) 2 706 9470
                          margie.pazikas@eu.tenneco-automotive.com

                          Jane Ostrander
                          Media Relations
                          847 482-5607
                          jane.ostrander@tenneco-automotive.com

                          Leslie Hunziker
                          Investor Relations
                          847 482-5042
                          leslie.hunziker@tenneco-automotive.com


                    TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE LAUNCHES MANUFACTURING
                              OPERATIONS IN RUSSIA
              COMPANY TO PRODUCE EXHAUST COMPONENTS AND ASSEMBLIES
                             AT ITS TOGLIATTI PLANT

FRANKFURT, GERMANY, September 9, 2003 - Tenneco Automotive (NYSE: TEN) announced
today that the company is continuing its Central and Eastern European expansion
by opening a manufacturing facility in Togliatti, Russia, approximately 1,000
kilometers southeast of Moscow.

The new facility will supply hot-end original equipment (OE) exhaust components,
including catalytic converters and downpipes, and cold-end muffler assemblies
for the Chevrolet Niva platform, a car built by a joint venture between General
Motors and AvtoVAZ, the Russian-based automaker. Tenneco Automotive expects the
facility to be operational by October 2003.


                                     -More-


"We are building a meaningful presence in Russia and are well-positioned to
capture growth opportunities in this rapidly expanding market," said Mark P.
Frissora, chairman and CEO of Tenneco Automotive. "We will aggressively work to
build our book of business by leveraging our regional knowledge and local
management backed by Tenneco Automotive's global resources and engineering
capabilities."

The opening of the Togliatti facility marks the fourth Tenneco Automotive plant
in Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates an OE Emission Control plant
in Rybnik, Poland; an OE Ride Control plant in Gliwice, Poland and an OE Ride
Control and Emission Control facility in Hodkovice, Czech Republic.

Tenneco Automotive is a $3.5 billion manufacturing company with headquarters in
Lake Forest, Illinois and approximately 19,600 employees worldwide. Tenneco
Automotive is one of the world's largest producers and marketers of ride control
and exhaust systems and products, sold under the Monroe(R) and Walker(R) global
brand names. Among its products are Sensa-Trac(R) and Monroe Reflex(R) shocks
and struts, Rancho(R) shock absorbers, Walker(R) Quiet-Flow(R) mufflers and
DynoMax(R) performance exhaust products, and Monroe Clevite(R) vibration control
components.

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the company's
anticipated opening of a new manufacturing facility. Words such as "will,"
"expects" and similar expressions identify these forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the
company (including its subsidiaries). The company's plans and actual results
could differ materially because these forward-looking statements involve risks,
uncertainties and assumptions including, among other things, (i) the general
political, economic and competitive conditions in markets and countries where
the company and its subsidiaries operate, including currency fluctuations and
other risks associated with operating in foreign countries; (ii) governmental
actions, including the ability to receive regulatory approvals and the timing of
such approvals; (iii) changes in automotive manufacturers' production rates and
their actual and forecasted requirements for the company's products, including
the company's resultant inability to realize the sales represented by its
awarded book of business and the overall highly competitive nature of the
automotive parts industry; (iv) acts of war, riots or terrorism as well as
actions taken or to be taken by the United States or other governments as a
result of acts or threats of terrorism, and the impact of these acts on
economic, financial and social conditions in the countries where the company
operates and (v) the timing and occurrence (or non-occurrence) of transactions
and events which may be subject to circumstances beyond the control of the
company and its subsidiaries. Other factors that could cause the company's plans
and results to differ materially from current expectations are described in the
company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002, to
which you are referred for additional information. The company undertakes no
obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or
circumstances after the date of this press release.