FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S ROMEO ENGINE PLANT CELEBRATES PRODUCTION OF 8-MILLIONTH ENGINE

ROMEO, Mich., Nov. 19, 2004 – The eight-millionth engine produced at Ford Motor Company's Romeo Engine Plant in Romeo, Mich., rolled off the production line and through a celebratory banner today amid cheers and applause from employees.

The engine, a 4.6-liter 3-valve V-8, will power a new-for-2005 Ford Mustang and marks another milestone for the 31-year-old plant, which had its beginnings as a tractor plant before moving into engine production in 1991.

"We are proud that our engines are in some of Ford's best selling cars and trucks," said Plant Manager Dale Paruch. "The Romeo Team continues to set the standard for employee ownership, teamwork and pride."

In addition to the 4.6-liter 3-valve V-8 Mustang engine, the plant produces a variety of engines including the 4.6-liter 2-valve V-8 for Lincoln Towncar, Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis, Explorer/Mountaineer, F-series trucks and Econoline Van; the 4.6-liter 4-valve V-8 engines for Lincoln Aviator; and the 5.4-liter 4-valve Supercharged V-8 for the Ford GT.

"We are proud of our reputation for producing high-quality engines built by the best engine builders in the world," said Dave Weston, UAW Local 400 chairman. "This achievement shows what we can accomplish when we work together toward a common goal."

Established in 1973, the 2-million-square-foot Romeo Engine Plant has about 1,600 employees who produce an average of 3,200 engines a day and nearly 700,000 a year.