Exhibit 99.1

NEWS

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S JANUARY U.S. SALES DECLINE 11%

DEARBORN, MI, February 1, 2001 - U.S. customers purchased or leased 260,108 cars
and trucks from Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Jaguar, Volvo, and Land Rover dealers in
January, down 11 percent from a year ago.

"We knew  January  sales would be down from last year's  extraordinarily  strong
level," said Bob Rewey, Ford Motor Company Group Vice President, Global Consumer
Services and North America. "While down 11 percent,  January sales actually came
in slightly better than we expected."

"Yesterday's  announcement  about  lower  interest  rates was  welcome  news for
consumers,"  added  Rewey.  "We  believe  the  present  weak  period of economic
performance  will be relatively  brief and should give way to improved  business
conditions later this year."

Ford Motor Company total truck sales were 163,529, down five percent.  Passenger
car sales were 96,579, down 20 percent.

With the addition of the all-new  Ford Escape,  Ford  Outfitters  posted  record
sales of "No Boundaries" sport utility vehicles.  Ford Escape sales were 12,228,
driving total Ford brand SUV sales to 51,134, up seven percent. Total Ford Motor
Company SUV sales were a record 58,589.



                                       -2-

Ford plans to maintain its  previously-announced  first quarter  North  American
production level of 1,050,000 cars and trucks, down 220,000 units (17%) from the
first quarter 2000.