Exhibit 20
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
NEWS
Contact: George Pipas
313-323-9216
gpipas@ford.com
Go to http://media.ford.com for news releases and high-resolution photographs
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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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FORD MOTOR COMPANY reports APRIL u.S. SALES
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o Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator pace Ford's record-setting SUV
sales; Mustang stampede results from historic $5 a day lease program
o Volvo and Land Rover set new April sales records
o Ford raises second quarter production plan 10,000 vehicles to 990,000
cars and trucks
o Ford's O'Connor is encouraged by higher consumer confidence readings -
enhances prospects consumer spending will improve in the second half.
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DEARBORN, Mich., May 1 - U.S. customers purchased or leased 298,037 cars and
trucks from Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Jaguar, Volvo, and Land Rover dealers in
April, down 2.9 percent compared with a year ago. Year-to-date, the company's
sales were 1.1 million, down 2.3 percent compared with the same period a year
ago.
The all-new Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, which debuted in June 2002,
paced the company to a new April SUV sales record. Expedition sales were 17,827
(up 80 percent compared with a year ago) and Navigator sales were 3,282 (up 79
percent). Two more new SUVs, Lincoln Aviator and Volvo XC90, helped increase the
company's total SUV sales to 78,221, eclipsing the previous April record
(70,766) set in 2001.
Ford Mustang had its best sales month since October 2001 as 17,412 customers
stampeded to Ford dealers and saddled up America's legendary pony car, enticed
by an historic offer on the eve of Ford's centennial. Mustang sales were 32
percent higher than a year ago.
"Mustang fever was elevated higher than we expected," said Jim O'Connor, Ford
Group Vice President, North America Marketing, Sales and Service. "Extending the
$5 a day lease offer was one of the easiest decisions we've ever made." The
special centennial $5 a day lease on Mustang and Ranger, America's best-selling
compact pickup, has been extended to June 16.
Volvo dealers reported record April sales of 10,895, up 21 percent from a year
ago. April was the sixth month in a row of higher sales at Volvo - a streak that
started with the introduction of the XC90, the award-winning sport utility
vehicle. XC90 sales (2,263) were limited by availability (16 days' supply at the
beginning of April).
Land Rover dealers also reported record April sales of 2,916, up 5 percent from
a year ago, reflecting higher sales of the all-new Range Rover, the flagship of
Land Rover's fleet. April was the second month in a row of record Land Rover
sales.
Lincoln sales rose 15 percent from a year ago on the strength of record SUV
sales. Aviator and Navigator combined for April sales of 5,745, nearly tripling
last year's sales for Navigator alone and the highest SUV sales ever delivered
by the Lincoln franchise in a single month.
Ford, America's best-selling brand of cars and trucks, posted April sales of
251,186, down 2.6 percent from a year ago. Mercury sales were 16,320, down 21
percent from a year ago.
The company revised its second quarter North American production plan upward by
10,000 units (5,000 cars and 5,000 trucks) in response to higher than expected
demand for the Mustang (Dearborn Assembly Plant) and Expedition and Navigator
(Michigan Truck Plant). The company now plans to produce 990,000 vehicles in the
second quarter (320,000 cars and 670,000 trucks).
"We're encouraged by higher consumer confidence readings," O'Connor said. "A
more confident consumer enhances the prospect that consumer spending will
improve in the second half of the year."
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