PRESS RELEASE

Ford Announces March Sales

4 April 1997

    DETROIT, April 3 -- U.S. consumers bought or leased a record
205,891 Ford and Mercury trucks in March, up four percent, and 537,048 during
the first quarter, up six percent.  Combined March sales of 349,813 Ford and
Lincoln-Mercury vehicles, including cars, were two percent less than the
robust results reported for March, 1996.  Ford's total car sales declined ten
percent, reflective of continuing consumer trends -- the shift of demand away
from cars to trucks and intense competition from foreign manufacturers.
    Ford's total truck sales set all-time records not just for March, but for
any month in history by any manufacturer.  "As the industry's truck sales
leader, with the strongest overall car and truck line-up in our history, Ford
is in a well-balanced position for the ongoing consumer shift away from cars
to trucks," said Bob Rewey, Ford's group vice president of marketing and
sales.  "We've expanded our truck assembly capacity substantially in recent
years and presently nearly all of our truck plants are operating on overtime
schedules to keep pace with strong customer demand."
    During the first quarter, Ford's North American truck output was a record,
up eight percent, in spite of a supplier strike.  The latest second quarter
production plans call for an increase of ten percent from a year ago and
another record.
    Despite limited availability of Expedition and Econoline/Club Wagon
models, the company's total U.S. truck sales rose four percent to 205,891
units.  "That eclipsed our own prior record for March," added Rewey, "and
established a new all-time truck sales record for any month by any
manufacturer."
    Additionally, March was the eleventh consecutive record month for Mercury
trucks.  The total of 10,620 Mountaineers and Villagers was a 72 percent
increase over last year and an any-month record for the Lincoln-Mercury
Division.
    Among truck customers, Ford remained the manufacturer of choice in March.
Ford F-Series, America's most popular vehicle for 15 consecutive years, again
dominated the full-size pickup segment with sales of 67,736 units.  Ford
Ranger was the most popular compact pickup, with a sales increase of 11
percent to 28,961 units.
    Ford Windstar once again grew in popularity, as more and more minivan
buyers became aware of its value and all-important safety features.  The only
minivan to receive a five-star rating in the government's crash tests,
Windstar sales of 19,575 in March marked the eighth increase in the past nine
months.
    Ford Explorer and Expedition led their respective sport utility vehicle
(SUV) segments, and together with the new Mercury Mountaineer, they welcomed a
combined total of 55,856 new SUV customers into the Ford family during the
month, a 35 percent increase over last March's record:

                                       1997       1996    Change

    Explorer/Mountaineer              36,391     36,538
    Expedition/Bronco                 19,465      4,743
    Total SUVs                        55,856     41,281     35%

    While the supply of hot-selling Expeditions was quite tight throughout
March, sales were the highest for any month yet at 19,465.  The company
announced on March 25 that employees from Ford's Michigan Truck Plant had
completed the installation of seats in the units marshaled for retrofit during
the recent production interruption.  "All of those Expeditions now have been
shipped to dealers and soon will be in the hands of the customers who've been
waiting for their arrival," Rewey noted.
    Ford also announced that it was increasing Expedition output from 42 to 45
jobs per hour.  "We are stepping up production to meet consumer demand," said
Rewey.  "Our aim is to build the vehicles our customers want."


                        FORD MOTOR COMPANY MARCH SALES

                          March Month       DSR %      March CYTD       DSR %
                        1997      1996     Change    1997      1996     Change

    TOTAL VEHICLES*   349,813   357,730    -2.2%   925,710   948,769    -1.1%

    TOTAL CARS*       143,922   159,778    -9.9    388,662   434,099    -9.3

    TOTAL TRUCKS      205,891   197,952     4.0    537,048   514,670     5.7


    memo:

    Domestic Cars     141,305   156,187    -9.5    381,901   422,145    -8.3

    Imported Cars*      2,617     3,591   -27.1      6,761    11,954   -42.7

    Light Trucks      201,142   194,328     3.5    525,675   503,809     5.7

    Heavy Trucks        4,749     3,624    31.0     11,373    10,861     6.1

    Note: Percentage changes are based on daily selling rates.

    Selling Days           26        26                 76        77

    *  These figures exclude sales of Jaguar Cars, a wholly-owned Ford
subsidiary, which reports its results separately.

    CONTACT:  Joel Pitcoff, 313-446-9322



                          FORD DIVISION MARCH SALES

                          March Month       DSR %      March CYTD     DSR %
                        1997      1996     Change    1997      1996   Change

    Crown Victoria     10,184    10,773    -5.5%    30,274    29,916    2.5%

    Thunderbird         5,490     7,281   -24.6     17,305    20,013  -12.4

    Taurus             28,708    31,596    -9.1     88,135    91,828   -2.8
    Contour            15,792    18,800   -16.0     37,109    49,291  -23.7

    Escort             26,380    26,630    -0.9     66,549    72,554   -7.l

    Aspire              2,617     3,591   -27.1      6,761    11,954  -42.7

    Mustang             9,925    12,048   -17.6     23,726    29,516  -18.6

    Probe               1,249     3,158   -60.4      3,929     9,223  -56.8

    TOTAL FORD CARS   100,345   113,877   -11.9    273,788   314,295  -11.7

    Expedition/Bronco  19,465     4,743   310.4     46,383    12,534  274.9

    Explorer           32,034    36,538   -12.3     89,633   103,881  -12.6

    Econoline/Club
     Wagon             17,964    17,708     1.4     42,118    43,181   -1.2

    Aerostar            4,787     7,479   -36.0     13,901    18,819  -25.2

    Windstar           19,575   18,877      3.7     49,473    46,661    7.4

    Ranger             28,961   26,192     10.6     74,570    71,541    5.6

    F-Series           67,736   76,625    -11.6    183,128   192,349   -3.5

    TOTAL FORD LT.
     TRUCKS           190,522  188,162      1.3    499,206   488,966    3.4

    Heavy Trucks        4,749    3,624     31.0     11,373    10,861    6.1

    TOTAL FORD DIV.
     TRUCKS           195,271  191,786      1.8    510,579   499,827    3.5

    FORD DIVISION
      TOTAL VEHICLES  295,616  305,663     -3.3%   784,367   814,122   -2.4%

    Note: Percentage changes are based on daily selling rates.

    Selling Days           26       26                  76        77

    CONTACT:  Brenda Hines, Ford Division, 313-446-7736



                     LINCOLN-MERCURY DIVISION MARCH SALES

                          March Month       DSR %      March CYTD     DSR %
                        1997      1996     Change    1997      1996   Change

    Grand Marquis       9,320     9,389    -0.7%    23,624    22,971    4.2%

    Cougar              2,954     3,356   -12.0      8,595     8,765   -0.6

    Sable              11,183    10,023    11.6     28,821    29,995   -2.6

    Mystique            5,216     5,672    -8.0     12,771    13,962   -7.3

    Tracer              4,280     3,602    18.8     12,019    11,108    9.6

    TOTAL MERCURY CARS 32,953    32,042     2.8     85,830    86,801    0.2

    Town Car            6,384     9,658   -33.9     18,320    22,716  -18.3
    Mark VIII           1,369     1,359     0.7      3,540     3,378    6.2

    Continental         2,871     2,842     1.0      7,184     6,909    5.3

    TOTAL LINCOLN CARS 10,624    13,859   -23.3     29,044    33,003  -10.8

    L-M TOTAL CARS     43,577    45,901    -5.1    114,874   119,804   -2.9

    Villager            6,263     6,166     1.6     14,696    14,843    0.3

    Mountaineer         4,357         0      NA     11,773         0     NA

    L-M LIGHT TRUCKS   10,620     6,166    72.2     26,469    14,843   80.7

    L-M DIVISION
       TOTAL VEHICLES  54,197    52,067     4.1%   141,343   134,647    6.4%

    Note: Percentage changes are based on daily selling rates.

    Selling Days           26        26                 76        77

    CONTACT: Anne Doyle, Lincoln-Mercury Division, 313-446-4368

SOURCE  Ford Motor Company