FORD OF CANADA NAMES NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO

* Joe Hinrichs is appointed president and CEO, Ford of Canada, effective January 1, 2005, succeeding Alain Batty, who has been named director, European sales staffs, Ford of Europe. * Hinrichs assumes the leadership role as Ford of Canada continues its surge of new product introductions and record-high customer satisfaction.

OAKVILLE, Ontario, Dec. 3, 2004 - Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, today announced the appointment of Joe Hinrichs as president and CEO, effective January 1, 2005, replacing Alain Batty who has been named director of European sales staffs, Ford of Europe. Hinrichs is currently the director of manufacturing at Ford Motor Company.

"Joe brings a wealth of experience to Ford of Canada as a strong business leader and operational expert," said Anne Stevens, group vice president, Canada, Mexico and South America, Ford Motor Company. "As a key player in our product creation process, he has in-depth knowledge of the unprecedented wave of new vehicles now arriving at Canadian showrooms."

Hinrichs, 37, joined Ford four years ago and has held a variety of roles in vehicle manufacturing, materials planning and logistics, and powertrain operations. Prior to joining Ford, Hinrichs served as partner and senior vice president for Ryan Enterprises Group, where he ran a tier-one automotive supplier, and spent 10 years at General Motors where at 29 he became the youngest plant manager in GM's recent history.

"I want to personally thank Alain for his unwavering commitment to the success of Ford in Canada. Under his leadership, the company has strengthened its dealer relations, achieved record levels of customer satisfaction and secured a $1 billion investment to bring flexible manufacturing to the Oakville Assembly Plant," Stevens said.

Batty, a French national with strong family ties in Canada, is a 27-year Ford employee whose career has spanned four continents, including roles as the president of Ford Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), executive director of the 14-nation Asia-Pacific region, general sales manager in France, and managing director of Ford operations in Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Luxembourg.

"It has been an honour to serve as president and CEO of Ford of Canada as it celebrated its 100th year," Batty said. "We have many recent accomplishments to be proud of - the opening of our new Canadian headquarters, strong partnerships with our dealers, hitting new heights in customer satisfaction and remaining the top-selling automotive brand in Canada in a tough competitive environment - all of which position the company for even greater success in the next 100 years."

As director of manufacturing, Hinrichs oversaw the manufacturing, quality and launch of numerous new products at six assembly plants and worked with the product creation process to develop and launch innovative, competitive vehicles.

"I look forward to working with the entire Ford of Canada family -- its employees, dealers, labour partners and suppliers to build on the momentum that Ford of Canada has generated in the last few years and to continue to drive forward its commitment to great products, a strong business and a better world," Hinrichs said. "It will be exciting to introduce to the Canadian consumer more new products than ever before while continuing to focus on Ford of Canada's proven excellence in customer satisfaction."

Ford of Canada Ford of Canada's operations include a national headquarters, six regional offices, five vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing plants, two parts distribution centres, and affiliates including Ford Credit, Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover and Hertz. Ford of Canada employs nearly 16,000 people, while an additional 21,000 are employed in 500 Ford and Ford-Lincoln dealerships across Canada. In 2003, revenues for Canadian operations were $20.8 billion, making Ford of Canada one of the country's largest privately held companies. For more information, please visit www.ford.ca.