---

Ford Norfolk Assembly Plant Earns J.D. Power Top Quality Honor

12 August 1999

Ford Norfolk Assembly Plant Earns J.D. Power Top Quality Honor for Ford Motor Company

    NORFOLK, Va., Aug. 11 -- The best-selling pickup truck in
America is now assembled at the best Ford plant in America for quality. J.D.
Power & Associates today designated Ford Motor Company's Norfolk plant as the
"Number One Ford Assembly Plant in North America."
    "We have always known our plant is outstanding," said Thomas Phillips,
Norfolk Plant Manager. "Our employees here know that, the company management
knows that, and now we have independent verification to back up our right to
brag."
    Home of the Ford F-Series pickup truck, the Norfolk Assembly Plant ranked
fourth worldwide with a 24 percent improvement in quality over 1998.
    The 1999 J.D. Power & Associates Vehicle Initial Quality Survey traces
consumers' newly purchased vehicles through their vehicle identification
number (VIN) to the plants where they were produced. Assembly plants are then
ranked based on the fewest problems per 100 units produced.
    Jim Padilla, Ford Group Vice President of Manufacturing, credits the
Norfolk Assembly Plant award to Ford's uncompromising commitment to quality:
"Our customers have voted for us in two ways: First by buying what we build,
and secondly, by reporting that they liked what they bought. This is the
highest affirmation we can get, and it's good for our employees, good for our
customers, and good for our shareholders," he said.
    J.D. Power & Associates studies are based on actual customer satisfaction
surveys from more than one million customers around the world. In the
automotive industry, the firm maintains one of the largest historical customer
satisfaction databases, which includes customer feedback on virtually every
aspect of the vehicle ownership experience.
    The Norfolk Assembly Plant, which began building cars and trucks in 1925,
has built the Ford F-Series pickup exclusively since 1974.