Exhibit 99.1



                               FORD MOTOR COMPANY

                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, William Clay Ford, Jr., the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
of Ford Motor Company (the "Company"), hereby certify pursuant to Section 906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that:

1.   the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
     2003, to which this statement is filed as an exhibit (the "Report"),  fully
     complies with the  requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities
     Exchange Act of 1934; and

2.   the information  contained in the Report fairly  presents,  in all material
     respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.



                                                /s/William Clay Ford, Jr.
                                                -------------------------------
                                                William Clay Ford, Jr.
                                                Chairman of the Board and
                                                Chief Executive Officer

Dated: May 7, 2003