CREDIT ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION
SC 13D, 1998-01-20
PERSONAL CREDIT INSTITUTIONS
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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                  SCHEDULE 13D


                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                               (Amendment No. 2 )*

                          CREDIT ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION
                                (Name of Issuer)

                          Common Stock, $.01 par value
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    225310101
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                               Mr. Thomas W. Smith
                               323 Railroad Avenue
                               Greenwich, CT 06830
                                 (203) 661-1200
                  (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
               Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

                                January 14, 1998
             (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

If the filing person has previously  filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the  acquisition  which is the subject of this  Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the following box [ ].

Note:  Six copies of this  statement,  including all  exhibits,  should be filed
with the  Commission.  See Rule 13d-1(a) forother parties to whom copies are to 
be sent.

* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting  person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any  subsequent  amendment  containing  information  which  would  alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but  shall be  subject  to all other  provisions  of the Act  (however,  see the
Notes).


<PAGE>



CUSIP No.  225310101
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
          S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

                   Thomas W. Smith

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP      (a) [   ]
                                                                (b) [ X ]

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   3      SEC USE ONLY

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   4      SOURCE OF FUNDS

                   00 (Funds of Managed Accounts), PF

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   5      CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
          ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)                                      [    ]


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   6      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

                   United States

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        7     SOLE VOTING POWER

                                  347,000
                        --------------------------------------------------------
      NUMBER OF
                        
        SHARES          8     SHARED VOTING POWER

     BENEFICIALLY                 3,435,000
                        --------------------------------------------------------
                       
    OWNED BY EACH       9     SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

      REPORTING                   347,000
                        --------------------------------------------------------
        PERSON           10   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

         WITH                     3,435,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

            3,782,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
                                                                      [  ]

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 11

            8.20%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

            IN
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


<PAGE>



CUSIP No.  225310101

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
          S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

                   Thomas N. Tryforos

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP      (a) [   ]
                                                                (b) [ X ]

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   3      SEC USE ONLY


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   4      SOURCE OF FUNDS

                   00 (Funds of Managed Accounts)

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   5      CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
          ITEMS 2(e) OR 2(e)                                        [   ]


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   6      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

                   United States

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       7     SOLE VOTING POWER

                                 208
      NUMBER OF
                       ---------------------------------------------------------
       SHARES          8     SHARED VOTING POWER

    BENEFICIALLY                 3,435,000                    
                       ---------------------------------------------------------
    OWNED BY EACH      9     SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

      REPORTING                  208
                       ---------------------------------------------------------
       PERSON           10   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

        WITH                     3,435,000

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

            3,435,208
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES  
                                                                 [  ]

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 11

            7.45%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

            IN
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


<PAGE>



            Items 3, 4, 5 and 7 are hereby amended as set forth below
        ----------------------------------------------------------------

Item 3.  Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration.

     [Item 3 is  hereby  amended  so that,  as  amended,  it  shall  read in its
entirety as follows:]

     An  aggregate  of  $41,729,876  of the funds of the  Managed  Accounts  (as
hereinafter defined) and $1,184,109 of the personal funds of Mr. Smith were used
to purchase the shares reported herein.


Item 4.  Purpose of Transaction.

     [Item 4 is  hereby  amended  so that,  as  amended,  it  shall  read in its
entirety as follows:]

     As set forth in Item 5, Mr. Smith  beneficially  owns  3,632,000  shares of
Common Stock and Mr. Tryforos beneficially owns 3,435,208 shares of Common Stock
in their  capacity  as  investment  manager for certain  managed  accounts  (the
"Managed Accounts").  In addition, Mr. Smith owns 150,000 shares of Common Stock
for his own account (the "Personal  Shares").  The Managed  Accounts  consist of
three private  investment  limited  partnerships  of which each of the Reporting
Persons is a general partner,  an employee  profit-sharing plan of a corporation
of which Mr. Smith is the sole stockholder (for which the two Reporting  Persons
are trustees),  a private investment general  partnership for which Mr. Smith is
general partner, a private charitable  foundation  established by Mr. Smith, and
trusts or accounts for the benefit of certain  family  members of Messrs.  Smith
and Tryforos. Each of the Reporting Persons has acquired beneficial ownership of
the  Managed  Accounts'  Shares for the  purpose  of  achieving  the  investment
policies of the Managed  Accounts and Mr. Smith has acquired his Personal Shares
for  investment  purposes.  Depending  upon  market  conditions,  evaluation  of
alternative  investments,  and such other  factors as he may consider  relevant,
each of the  Reporting  Persons may  purchase or sell shares of Common Stock for
the  Managed  Accounts  or other  managed  accounts  or for his own  account  if
appropriate  opportunities  to do so are  available,  on such  terms and at such
times as such Reporting  Person considers  desirable.  Subject to the foregoing,
neither of the Reporting Persons has any present plans or proposals which relate
to or would  result in any of the  actions or events  enumerated  in clauses (a)
through (j) of Item 4 of Schedule 13D.


Item 5. Interest in Securities of the Issuer.

     [Items 5 (a),  (b) and (c) are hereby  amended so that,  as  amended,  each
shall read in its entirety as follows:]

     (a) The aggregate number and percentage (based upon information included in
the Form 10-Q filed by the issuer for the quarter ended  September 30, 1997 that
46,113,115  shares of Common Stock were  outstanding as of November 10, 1997) of
shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by each of the Reporting Persons is as
follows: Mr. Smith -- 3,782,000 shares (8.20%); Mr. Tryforos -- 3,435,208 shares
(7.45%).  All of such  shares are held in the Managed  Accounts,  except for the
Personal Shares.

     (b) Mr.  Smith has the sole  power to vote or to  direct  the vote and sole
power to dispose or to direct the disposition of 347,000 shares of Common Stock.
Mr.  Tryforos has the sole power to vote or to direct the vote and sole power to
dispose or to direct the disposition of 208 shares of Common Stock.  Each of the
Reporting  Persons  has  shared  power to vote or to direct  the vote and shared
power to dispose  or to direct the  disposition  of  3,435,000  shares of Common
Stock.

     (c) Since the date of the most recent filing on Schedule 13D, the Reporting
Persons  purchased an  aggregate of 458,600  shares of Common Stock on behalf of
the Managed  Accounts in open market  transactions on the Nasdaq National Market
as follows:


                             Number of Shares
Date of Purchase                  Purchased               Price Per Share
- ----------------            -------------------           ---------------
12/29/97                            32,100                      $6.8444
12/30/97                            66,100                       6.7569
1/6/98                              35,000                       8.2756
1/7/98                              15,000                       8.1029
1/8/98                              25,400                       7.7784
1/9/98                              24,600                       7.8281
1/9/98                              23,000                       7.6079
1/12/98                             50,000                       7.5075
1/13/98                             15,400                       7.8484
1/14/98                             25,000                       7.8125
1/14/98                             34,000                       7.8594
1/15/98                             19,500                       7.8986
1/15/98                             10,000                       7.8750
1/16/98                             10,000                       7.8750
1/16/98                             73,500                       7.8808


     In  addition,  Mr.  Smith  purchased  the  following  shares in open market
transactions on the Nasdaq National Market:


12/30/97                             5,000                      $6.7569
12/31/97                            10,000                       7.9844
1/2/98                              10,000                       7.8125
1/5/98                              10,000                       7.9463
1/6/98                              15,000                       8.2756
1/7/98                              15,000                       8.1029
1/8/98                              15,000                       7.7784
1/9/98                              15,000                       7.6079
1/12/98                              5,000                       7.5075
1/13/98                             24,600                       7.8484
1/14/98                             25,400                       7.8125

<PAGE>



     Item 7.  Material  to be Filed as  Exhibits.  
    
     [Item 7 is  hereby  amended  so that,  as  amended,  it  shall  read in its
entirety as follows:]
                  
     1.  Agreement  relating to the joint  filing of  Statement  on Schedule 13D
dated August 14, 1997 as required by Rule 13d-1(f).
                 
     2.  Agreement  relating  to the  joint  filing  of  Amendment  No. 1 to the
Statement on Schedule 13D dated December 29, 1997 as required by Rule 13d-1(f).
                 
     3.  Agreement  relating  to the  joint  filing  of  Amendment  No. 2 to the
Statement on Schedule 13D dated January 20, 1998 as required by Rule 13d-1(f).


<PAGE>



                                    SIGNATURE

                  After  reasonable  inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief,  I certify  that the  information  set forth in this  statement is true,
complete and correct.

Date:  January 20, 1998

                                                    /s/ Thomas W. Smith
                                                  --------------------------
                                                        Thomas W. Smith


                                                    /s/ Thomas N. Tryforos
                                                  --------------------------
                                                        Thomas N. Tryforos

<PAGE>



                                  Exhibit Index


                                  Sequentially
                             Document Numbered Page


1.       Agreement relating to the joint                                    *
         filing of Statement on Schedule
         13D dated August 14, 1997 as
         required by Rule 13d-1(f).

2.       Agreement relating to the joint                                    *
         filing of Amendment No. 1 to the
         Statement on Schedule 13D dated
         December 29, 1997 as required by
         Rule 13d-1(f).

3.       Agreement relating to the joint                                   10
         filing of Amendment No. 2 to the
         Statement on Schedule 13D dated
         January 20, 1998 as required by
         Rule 13d-1(f).



         --------------------------
         *  Previously filed


<PAGE>



                                                                       Exhibit 3


                             Joint Filing Agreement


     The undersigned  agree that the foregoing  Amendment No. 2 to the Statement
on Schedule 13D,  dated January 20, 1998, is being filed with the Securities and
Exchange  Commission  on  behalf  of each of the  undersigned  pursuant  to Rule
13d-1(f).

Dated:  January 20, 1998



                                                       /s/ Thomas W. Smith
                                                     ------------------------
                                                           Thomas W. Smith


                                                       /s/ Thomas N. Tryforos
                                                     ------------------------
                                                           Thomas N. Tryforos






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