Executive Appointments

RNS Number:0568P
Ford Motor Co
27 August 2003

Contacts:  Niel Golightly       Mark Schirmer         Ken Zino
           Ford Europe          Mazda Motor Corp.     International Operations
           49-221-901-9294      81-82-565-1088        1-313-390-8647

FORD ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS 

*  Lewis Booth appointed president and chief operating officer of Ford Europe 
*  John Parker appointed executive vice president and assistant to the president
   at Mazda 
*  Mazda elects Hisakazu Imaki president and chief executive officer

COLOGNE, Germany, Aug. 27, 2003 (4 a.m. August 27 in Cologne; 10 p.m. August 26
in Dearborn, Mich., USA; 11 a.m. August 27 in Hiroshima, Japan) - Ford Motor
Company (NYSE: F) today announced that Lewis Booth has been named president and
chief operating officer of Ford Europe and that John Parker has been named
executive vice president and assistant to the president at Mazda Motor
Corporation. Separately, Mazda's Board of Directors has elected Hisakazu Imaki
as its president and chief executive officer, the details of which are being
announced simultaneously. All appointments are effective immediately.

Booth, 54, succeeds Martin Leach, who resigned from Ford earlier this month.
Booth will report to David Thursfield, executive vice president, International
Operations and Global Purchasing. Booth had been Mazda's president and chief
executive officer. Parker, 55, will succeed Imaki, 60, who was executive vice
president and chief engineering and manufacturing officer at Mazda. Previously,
Parker was president of Ford's ASEAN Operations, based in Bangkok.

"These appointments strengthen Ford's position in Europe and Asia," Thursfield
said. "Lewis Booth has had broad experience in many regions across the Ford
world and is no stranger to our operations in Europe. We're glad to see his
return. 

"Backed by an experienced team in Europe, many of whom he has known for years,
Lewis is in a great position to address the challenges we face in Europe and to
spur us back into a position of sustained profitability.

"Imaki-san," Thursfield continued, "brings the continuity we seek to strengthen
the strong progress that Mazda has made in recent years. He will be greatly
aided by John Parker, whose global experience and strong ties to Ford Motor
Company will certainly benefit Mazda, " Thursfield noted.

"I couldn't leave Mazda in better hands," said Booth. "I have worked closely
with Imaki-san and know his capabilities well. The leadership team at Mazda is
very fortunate to have Imaki-san and John at the helm. But this is a homecoming
for me, and I am looking forward to renewing the associations that I previously
had enjoyed and valued. I know the challenges our industry is facing in Europe
and in many other regions around the world. I believe my years of experience
elsewhere at Ford, as well as at Mazda, a global company itself, strengthens my
abilities to do the job that David has entrusted to me," Booth added.

Richard Parry-Jones, group vice president, product development, and chief
technical officer and a member of the Mazda Advisory Board, noted, "The Mazda
global line-up has never been better, and the new team is in great shape to see
the benefits from the work that has been done. We're very pleased with the
progress Mazda has made."

Booth, a Ford Motor Company vice president, joined Mazda in 2002 as senior
advisor of corporate strategy. Prior to that appointment, he was president Asia
Pacific and Africa Operations, a position he held from January 2002. He had
responsibilities for South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and India and for
developing Ford's strategy in the Asia-Pacific region. He joined Ford in 1978 as
a financial analysis coordinator with Product Development in Ford Europe, and
during the 1980's and early 1990's held a series of management positions in
Britain and Germany in Finance, Truck Operations, Product Development,
Manufacturing and Sales.

Parker began his duties as president of Ford's ASEAN Operations in December 2001
and is responsible for Ford's operations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the
Philippines and Thailand. Prior to this position, Parker was head of Ford Lio Ho
in Taiwan for two years. 

Parker joined Ford in South Africa in March 1965 and held a number of positions
before his initial assignment in Taiwan, where he rose to director, Technical
Operations. In 1989, he was assigned to Australia, where he became vice
president, Product Development. He also served as president of Ford India from
1994-98.

Ford acquired a 25 percent equity stake in Mazda in 1979 and increased its stake
to 33.4 percent in 1996.


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