When the output from an internal combustion engine is reduced using a combination of a throttle valve control device, a fuel cut control device and an ignition retard control device, the starting point of operation of the ignition retard control device in a control region of condition for an excessive slipping of the driving wheel is provided between the starting region of operation of the throttle valve control device and the starting region of operation of the fuel cut control device. This permits the fuel cut control device to have a high responsiveness to a sudden variation in excessive slipping and no exhaust heat to be discharged, and also permits the throttle valve control device to become lower in responsiveness after the excessive slipping has been substantially converged but to have a small variation in fuel-air ratio. The ignition retard control device starts operation only when the excessive slipping cannot be suppressed by the throttle valve control device. Therefore, the use of the ignition retard control device which relatively easily permits an increase in the temperature of an exhaust gas can be restrained to the minimum.