FORD MOTOR COMPANY



Contact:          Ken Brown
                  (313) 322-9214


        FORD-MAZDA STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIP; FORD INCREASES EQUITY


     DEARBORN, Mich., April 12 -- Ford Motor Company and Mazda
Motor Corporation today agreed to strengthen their long-established
relationship with Ford increasing its equity in Mazda.

     Ford and Mazda said they view this further integration as an
essential step for the two companies to benefit from each other's
resources and skills in the increasingly competitive automotive
industry, particularly in Asia.

     "Mazda is pleased to be able to cooperate more closely with
Ford to develop our two companies' abilities to meet the challenges
of the marketplace of the twenty-first century, while still
maintaining each company's separate identity," said Yoshihiro Wada,
president of Mazda Motor Corporation.

     The new agreement between the companies provides for Ford to
contribute additional capital to Mazda and increase its
shareholding from 25 percent to 33.4 percent, contingent on the
necessary government approvals.

                               -2-

     "Ford and Mazda believe that closer coordination
of our cooperative strategies and plans, particularly in the areas
of product development, manufacturing and distribution of vehicles,
will enable both companies to improve competitiveness and to
achieve improved economies of scale and efficiencies," said Wayne
Booker, executive vice president of Ford Motor Company.

     The coordinated strategies will be implemented at Mazda under
the leadership of Henry Wallace, whose appointment as president of
Mazda Motor Corporation, effective June 27, 1996, is being
announced today by Mazda.  It is anticipated that there will be a
modest increase in the number of Ford personnel nominated to Mazda
management positions.  Presently, there are seven Ford-nominated
directors on Mazda's board, four of whom hold executive positions
in Mazda.

     Mazda's leading bank, The Sumitomo Bank, Limited, has
indicated its support for these new plans to strengthen the Ford-
Mazda relationship.

     Mazda and Ford have been business associates since the 1960s.
Ford acquired a 25 percent equity stake in Mazda in 1979.  The
companies implemented a closer strategic relationship in 1993,
since which time a number of new cooperative projects have been
launched, including formation of a joint-venture company to
manufacture pickup trucks in Thailand and supply of Mazda-badged
cars by Ford operations in Europe.

     "The strengthening of the relationship being announced today
is a continuation of the steadily increasing cooperation of the two
companies," said Alex Trotman, chairman of the board and CEO of
Ford Motor Company.  "By making even more effective use of our
combined global resources, we will further improve the
competitiveness of both Ford and Mazda."


                    # # #
4/12/96