EXHIBIT 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMERICAN VANGUARD POSTS 22^ND CONSECUTIVE QUARTER OF COMPARABLE PERIOD GROWTH

WITH THIRD QUARTER NET INCOME UP 42% ON 20% SALES INCREASE

Newport Beach, CA – November 3, 2004 – American Vanguard Corporation (AMEX:AVD), today announced financial results for the third quarter and nine-month period ended September 30, 2004.

Third Quarter Financial Highlights – versus fiscal 2003 third quarter

• Net sales rose 20% to $39.6 million.

• Operating income increased 46% to $6.9 million.

• Net income grew 42% to $4.0 million.

• Earnings per diluted share increased 40% to $.42.

Nine-month Financial Highlights – versus fiscal 2003 first nine months

• Net sales increased 22% to $105.3 million.

• Operating income rose 64% to $15.0 million.

• Net income grew 49% to $8.6 million.

• Earnings per diluted share increased 45% to $.90. Earnings per share of $.62 for last year’s period included a non-recurring $.03 from income taxes receivable from the filing of amended tax returns.

Eric Wintemute, President and CEO of American Vanguard, stated, “We are pleased with the results for the quarter. Contributors to the strong sales level included our cotton products, as well as our mosquito adulticide, which was heavily used as a result of the recent hurricanes. Our slight gross margin improvement, coupled with our continued focus on controlling operating expenses, resulted in net income growing at more than twice the rate of sales.”

James Barry, Senior Vice President and CFO of American Vanguard, commented, “We continued to maintain a strong financial position, closing the third quarter with $38.6 million of working capital, total debt of $30.9 million (including current installments) and shareholders’ equity of $57.8 million. As previously announced, we expanded our credit facility in mid-October, providing us with additional financial flexibility to execute the Company’s growth strategy of acquiring and licensing additional products.”

Mr. Wintemute concluded, “We are very proud to have reported 22 consecutive quarters of comparable growth, and look forward to a bright future for the Company. As I stated last quarter, we are confident that we will comfortably realize our goal of double-digit sales and net income growth this year. Furthermore, the strength and diversity of our product line, opportunities for expansion via acquisition and licensing, solid financial position and more than ample manufacturing capacity are all factors in our optimism about American Vanguard’s long-term prospects.”

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American Vanguard Corporation News Release	Page 2
November 3, 2004

Conference Call

Eric G. Wintemute, President & CEO, and James A. Barry, Senior Vice President & CFO, will conduct a conference call focusing on the financial results at 12:00 pm ET on Wednesday, November 3, 2004. Interested parties may participate in the call by dialing 706-679-3155 approximately 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin. The conference call will also be broadcast live over the Internet via the Investors section of the Company’s web site at www.american-vanguard.com. To listen to the live call please go to the website at least 15 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. If you are unable to listen live, the conference call will be archived on the Company’s web site.

About American Vanguard

American Vanguard Corporation is a diversified specialty and agricultural products company that develops and markets products for crop protection and management, turf and ornamentals management and public and animal health. The Company’s basic strategy is to acquire brand name, niche product lines from larger companies that divest mature products to focus on newly discovered molecules. During 2004, American Vanguard has been recognized as one of BusinessWeek’s Hot Growth Companies (#93), Fortune Small Business’ America’s 100 Fastest Growing Small Companies (#26) and Forbes’ 200 Best Small Companies (#34). American Vanguard is included on the Russell 2000^® and Russell^® 3000 Indexes. To learn more about American Vanguard, please reference the Company’s web site at www.american-vanguard.com.

The Company, from time to time, may discuss forward-looking information. Except for the historical information contained in this release, all forward-looking statements are estimates by the Company’s management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ from management’s current expectations. Such factors include weather conditions, changes in regulatory policy and other risks as detailed from time-to-time in the Company’s SEC reports and filings. All forward-looking statements, if any, in this release represent the Company’s judgment as of the date of this release.

CONTACT:	-OR-	AVD’S INVESTOR RELATIONS FIRM
American Vanguard Corporation		The Equity Group Inc.
Eric G. Wintemute, President & CEO		www.theequitygroup.com
James A. Barry, Senior Vice President & CFO		Lauren Barbera
(949) 260-1200		lbarbera@equityny.com
		(212) 836-9610
		Loren G. Mortman
		(212) 836-9604

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American Vanguard Corporation News Release	Page 3
November 3, 2004

American Vanguard Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Income

(Unaudited)

	Three months ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2004			2003			2004			2003
Net sales	$	39,624,000		$	32,948,000		$	105,335,000		$	86,234,000
Cost of sales		21,178,000			18,091,000			57,951,000			48,056,000
Gross profit		18,446,000			14,857,000			47,384,000			38,178,000
Operating expenses		11,557,000			10,148,000			32,335,000			29,013,000
Operating income		6,889,000			4,709,000			15,049,000			9,165,000
Interest expense		371,000			226,000			1,013,000			790,000
Interest income (1)		(4,000	)		—			(5,000	)		(302,000	)
Interest capitalized		(15,000	)		(19,000	)		(50,000	)		(309,000	)
Income before income taxes		6,537,000			4,502,000			14,091,000			8,986,000
Income taxes		2,549,000			1,687,000			5,495,000			3,221,000
Net income	$	3,988,000		$	2,815,000		$	8,596,000		$	5,765,000
Earnings per common share – basic (2)	$	.44		$	.32		$	.96		$	.66
Earnings per common share – assuming dilution (2)	$	.42		$	.30		$	.90		$	.62
Weighted average shares outstanding – basic (2)		8,980,000			8,825,000			8,972,000			8,768,000
Weighted average shares outstanding – assuming dilution (2)		9,579,000			9,348,000			9,572,000			9,258,000

(1) The interest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2003, relates to income taxes receivable from the state of California as result of filing amended tax returns for the years ended December 31, 1995 through 1998. The overall after-tax effect of recording the receivable due from California (franchise tax) generated approximately $.03 per diluted share for the nine months ended September 30, 2003.

(2) Retroactively restated to reflect a 3-for-2 stock split distributed April 16, 2004, to common stockholders of record as of March 26, 2004.

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American Vanguard Corporation News Release	Page 4
November 3, 2004

American Vanguard Corporation and Subsidiaries

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

	September 30, 2004		December 31, 2003
Assets
Current assets:
Cash	$	2,396,000	$	887,000
Receivables		30,088,000		28,197,000
Inventories		40,258,000		33,389,000
Other current assets		1,502,000		1,197,000
Total current assets		74,244,000		63,670,000
Property, plant, equipment, net		25,005,000		21,677,000
Other assets		22,146,000		21,387,000
Total assets	$	121,395,000	$	106,734,000
Liabilities
Current liabilities:
Current installments of long-term debt	$	5,106,000	$	6,374,000
Accounts payable		6,361,000		13,030,000
Other current liabilities		24,172,000		12,642,000
Total current liabilities		35,639,000		32,046,000
Long-term debt, excluding current installments		25,750,000		22,142,000
Other long-term liabilities		2,212,000		2,212,000
Total liabilities		63,601,000		56,400,000
Total stockholders’ equity		57,794,000		50,334,000
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	121,395,000	$	106,734,000

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American Vanguard Corporation News Release	Page 5
November 3, 2004

2004 Summary Results of Operations

(Unaudited)

	Three months ended March 31		Three months ended June 30		Three months ended September 30
Net sales	$	34,219,000	$	31,492,000	$	39,624,000
Gross profit		15,190,000		13,748,000		18,446,000
Operating income		3,909,000		4,251,000		6,889,000
Net income	$	2,203,000	$	2,405,000		3,988,000
EPS – basic	$	.25	$	.27	$	.44
EPS – diluted	$	.23	$	.25	$	.42
Weighted average shares outstanding		8,963,000		8,972,000		8,980,000
Weighted average shares outstanding – assuming dilution		9,519,000		9,603,000		9,579,000

2003 Summary Results of Operations

(Quarterly Data – Unaudited)

	Three months ended March 31		Three months ended June 30		Three months ended Sept. 30		Three months ended Dec. 31		Fiscal 2003 (Audited)
Net sales	$	27,342,000	$	25,944,000	$	32,948,000	$	38,629,000	$	124,863,000
Gross profit		11,368,000		11,953,000		14,857,000		20,696,000		58,874,000
Operating income		2,077,000		2,379,000		4,709,000		7,377,000		16,542,000
Net income	$	1,224,000	$	1,725,000	$	2,815,000	$	4,499,000	$	10,263,000
EPS – basic	$	.14	$	.20	$	.32	$	.50	$	1.16
EPS – diluted	$	.13	$	.19	$	.30	$	.48	$	1.10
Weighted average shares outstanding		8,739,000		8,741,000		8,825,000		8,940,000		8,811,000
Weighted average shares outstanding – assuming dilution		9,134,000		9,246,000		9,248,000		9,434,000		9,314,000

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