<PAGE>

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                            -------------------------
                                    FORM 10-K

                        FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


(Mark One)

/X/  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
     SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.

For the Fiscal Year Ended: December 31, 2000

                             OR

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

For the transition period from _____ to _____

                        Commission file number 333-36939

                Chase Manhattan Auto Owner Trust 1998-C (Issuer)

           Chase Manhattan Bank USA, National Association (depositor)
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


USA                                                      22-2382028
(State or Other Jurisdiction of                          (IRS Employer
Incorporation or Organization)                           Identification Number)

200 White Clay Center Drive, Newark, DE                  17911
(Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:      (302) 575-5000


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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

    Title of Each Class           Name of Each Exchange of Which Registered
             NONE                                   N/A

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
               NONE
         (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 last 90 days: YES  X    NO
                                              ---      ---

         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 or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  X
                                                                ---

         State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common
equity held by non-affiliates of the registrants. The aggregate market value
shall be computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was sold,
or the average bid and asked prices of such common equity, as of a specified
date within 60 days prior to the date of filing.

      The registrant has no voting or non-voting common equity outstanding as of
      the date of this report. The registrant is a trust that has issued
      certificates of beneficial interest in the trust assets.

                      DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE.

      List hereunder the following documents if incorporated by reference and
the Part of the Form 10-K (e.g., Part I, Part II, etc.) into which the document
is incorporated: (1) any annual report to security holders; (2) any proxy or
information statement; and (3) any prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) or
(c) under the Securities Act of 1933. The listed documents should be clearly
described for identification purposes.

         None.


Introductory Note

         Chase Manhattan Auto Owner Trust 1998-C (the "Trust") was formed
pursuant to a Trust Agreement (the "Agreement") between Chase Manhattan Bank
USA, National Association (the "Bank"), as seller and servicer, and an unrelated
trustee (the "Trustee"). The Trust files reports pursuant to Section 13 and
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
in the manner described in "no-action" letters submitted to the Office of the
Chief Counsel on behalf of the originators of comparable trusts. Accordingly,
responses to certain Items have been omitted from or modified in this Annual
Report on Form 10-K.


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Part I

Item 1.           Business

         Omitted.

Item 2.           Properties

         The Trust has acquired certain auto loan receivables from the Bank
pursuant to a Sale and Servicing Agreement. The aggregate principal balance of
the receivables, as of December 31, 2000, was $308,230,421.00.

         The Trust also holds a reserve account pursuant to the Sale and
Servicing Agreement. The principal balance of the reserve account, as of
December 31, 2000, was $9,246,912.63.

         The aggregate balance of receivables that were 60 or more days past
due, as of December 31, 2000, was $2,674,404.52, or 0.868% of the receivables by
principal balance.

         The aggregate amount of principal charge-offs, net of recoveries, for
the year ended December 31, 2000, was $2,622,328.75, or 0.60792% of the average
aggregate outstanding principal balance of the receivables for that year.

Item 3.           Legal Proceedings

         The registrant knows of no material pending legal proceedings with
respect to the Trust, the Trustee or the Bank.

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

         No matter was submitted to a vote of Certificateholders during the
fiscal year covered by this report.


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Part II

Item 5.           Market for Registrant's Common Equity and Related
                  Stockholders Matters

         The registrant has no voting stock or class of common stock outstanding
as of the date of this report. The beneficial interest in the Trust is
represented by certificates of beneficial interest (the "Certificates"). The
registrant is also the issuer of two outstanding classes of notes (the "Notes").
To the knowledge of the registrant, the Certificates and the Notes are traded in
the over-the-counter market to a limited extent.

         As of December 31, 2000, all of the Certificates and the Notes were
registered in the name of CEDE and Co. The registrant understands that CEDE and
Co. is the nominee for the Depository Trust Company ("DTC"). The registrant
further understands that DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of
the Certificates and the Notes held of record by CEDE & Co., and that DTC knows
only the identity of the participants to whose accounts such Certificates and
Notes are credited, who may or may not be the beneficial owners of the
Certificates and the Notes.

         The records provided to the Trust by DTC indicate that as of December
31, 2000, the number of holders of record for each outstanding class of
securities issued by the Trust were as follows:

                  Class                              No. of Holders
                  ---------                          --------------
                  A-3                                     23
                  A-4                                     20
                  B-1                                     2

Item 6.           Selected Financial Data

         Omitted.

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

         Omitted.

Item 7A.          Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

         Not applicable.

Item 8.           Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

         Omitted.

Item 9.           Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting
                  and Financial Disclosure

         None.


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Part III

Item 10.          Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant

         Omitted.

Item 11.          Executive Compensation

         Omitted.

Item 12.          Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

         The records of DTC indicate that as of December 31, 2000, there were
the following holders of record with more than 5% of each class of the
Certificates and Notes:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Name & Address of Participant       Original Certificate   % Class
                                                                              Principal Balance
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                       <C>                                 <C>                   <C>
Class A-3                                 Bankers Trust Company                          $18,150,000        5.58%
                                          648 Grassmere Park Drive
                                          Nashville, TN  37211
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Company            $29,700,000        9.14%
                                          C/O Mellon Bank N.A.
                                          Three Mellon Bank Center
                                          Room 153-3015
                                          Pittsburgh, PA  15259
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Chase Manhattan Bank                          $114,660,000       35.28%
                                          4 New York Plaza, 13th Floor
                                          New York, NY  10004
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Northern Trust Company (The)                   $57,920,000       17.82%
                                          801 S. Canal C-IN
                                          Chicago, IL  60607
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          State Street Bank & Trust Company              $44,175,000       13.59%
                                          1776 Heritage Drive
                                          Global Corporate Action Unit JAB
                                          5NW
                                          No. Quincy, MA  02171
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A-4                                 Bankers Trust Company                          $49,342,000       17.38%
                                          C/O BT Services Tennessee Inc.
                                          648 Grassmere Park Drive
                                          Nashville, TN  37211
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Company            $44,527,000       15.68%
                                          C/O Mellon Bank N.A.
                                          Three Mellon Bank Center
                                          Room 153-3015
                                          Pittsburgh, PA  15259
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Chase Manhattan Bank                           $16,125,000        5.68%
                                          4 New York Plaza, 13th Floor
                                          New York, NY  10004
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

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<TABLE>
<S>                                       <C>                                  <C>                   <C>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Citibank, N.A.                                 $19,450,000        6.85%
                                          P.O. Box 30576
                                          Tampa, FL  33630-3576
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          State Street Bank & Trust Company             $106,680,000       38.28%
                                          1776 Heritage Drive
                                          Global Corporate Action Unit JAB
                                          5NW
                                          No. Quincy, MA  02171
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class B-1                                 Bank of New York (The)                         $20,000,000       60.81%
                                          925 Patterson Plank Road
                                          Secaucus, NJ  07094
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Chase Manhattan Bank                           $12,889,000       39.19%
                                          4 New York Plaza, 13th Floor
                                          New York, NY  10004
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>


Item 13.          Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

         None.



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Part IV

Item 14.          Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports of
                  Form 8-K

                  (a)      Exhibits. The following documents are filed as part
of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
         Exhibit Number             Description
         -------------------        ----------------
<S>                                 <C>
         23.1                       Consent of Independent Accountants.

         99.1                       Annual Management Report on Internal Controls.

         99.2                       Annual  Servicer's Certificate pursuant to Section
                                    4.10 of the Agreement.

         99.3                       Annual Independent Accountants Reports pursuant to
                                    Section 4.11 of the Agreement.

         99.4                       Annual Issuer's Certificate of Compliance with the Indenture.
</TABLE>

                  (b)      Reports on Form 8-K.

         The following reports were filed on Form 8-K during the last quarter of
2000:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Date                       Items Reported            Financial Statements
------------               ---------------------     -----------------------------
<S>                        <C>                       <C>
10/25/2000                 5, 7                      Monthly report to certificateholders
                                                     dated 10/16/2000

11/29/2000                 5, 7                      Monthly report to certificateholders
                                                     dated 11/15/2000

12/29/2000                 5, 7                      Monthly report to certificateholders
                                                     dated 12/15/2000
</TABLE>

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                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Dated:  March 30, 2001


                             Chase Manhattan Auto Owner Trust 1998-C

                             by: Chase Manhattan Bank USA, National Association

                             By: /s/ Patricia Garvey
                             -----------------------------------
                              Name: Patricia Garvey
                              Title: Vice President


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SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION TO BE FURNISHED WITH REPORTS FILED PURSUANT TO SECTION
15(d) OF THE ACT BY REGISTRANTS WHICH HAVE NOT REGISTERED SECURITIES PURSUANT TO
SECTION 12 OF THE ACT.

No annual report, proxy statement, form of proxy or other proxy soliciting
material has been sent to Certificateholders during the period covered by this
Annual Report on Form 10-K and the registrant does not intend to furnish such
materials to Certificateholders subsequent to the filing of this report.


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                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit Number:          Description:
---------------          ------------------------
<S>                      <C>
23.1                     Consent of Independent Accountants.

99.1                     Annual Management Report on Internal Controls.

99.2                     Annual Servicer's Certificate pursuant to Section 4.10
                         of the Agreement.

99.3                     Annual Independent Accountants Reports pursuant to
                         Section 4.11 of the Agreement.

99.4                     Annual Issuer's Certificate of Compliance with the Indenture.
</TABLE>