Exhibit 99
                                      Ford


NEWS

Contact:     George Pipas
             313-323-9216
             gpipas@ford.com

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- -----------------

FORD MUSTANG, FORD FIVE HUNDRED AND MERCURY
MONTEGO STRENGTHEN FORD'S CAR BUSINESS

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

o Ford Motor Company's April retail car sales rose 11 percent from a year ago
  paced by new Mustang, Five Hundred, and Montego.
o April truck sales declined 2 percent as higher sales of crossover utilities
  and full-size pickup trucks were offset by lower sales of traditional sport
  utility vehicles.
o Overall, April sales were off 2 percent from a year ago.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


DEARBORN,  Mich.,  May 3 - The all-new  Ford  Mustang,  Ford Five  Hundred,  and
Mercury Montego  continued to lead Ford Motor Company's effort to strengthen its
car business.  In April,  Ford's car sales to retail  customers  were 11 percent
higher than a year ago.  However,  a decline in  deliveries  to fleet  customers
offset the increase in retail sales.

Truck sales were 2 percent lower than a year ago as stronger  sales of crossover
utilities  and  full-size  pickups  were  more  than  offset  by lower  sales of
traditional utility vehicles.

Overall,  U.S. customers  purchased 281,292 cars and trucks from Ford,  Mercury,
Lincoln,  Jaguar,  Land Rover and Volvo dealers in April,  down 2 percent from a
year ago.

Mustang  sales were 19,559 - the highest April sales for Ford's  legendary  pony
car since 1980.



Go to http://media.ford.com for news releases and high-resolution photographs.



"Right now, the only thing keeping  Mustang at bay is lack of  inventory,"  said
Steve  Lyons,  Ford group vice  president  North  America  Marketing,  Sales and
Service. Lyons estimated Ford dealers had fewer than 13,000 Mustangs in stock at
the end of April.

Consumer  demand also remained  strong for the company's new full-size  sedans -
the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego.  Combined sales for the Five Hundred,
Montego,  and Ford  Freestyle  crossover  utility,  which are produced at Ford's
Chicago Assembly Plant, eclipsed 18,000 for the first time.

Demand for the company's  crossover  utilities  continued to increase.  Combined
sales for the Ford Escape and Freestyle, Mercury's Mariner, and Volvo's XC70 and
XC90 were 31 percent higher than the company's  crossover utility sales in April
2004.  Sales for the Escape  Hybrid  were 1,705 - the highest  monthly  sales to
date.

The  F-Series  truck,  America's  best-selling  vehicle,  posted  April sales of
71,367, up 2 percent from a year ago.

Lincoln Mercury posted its third consecutive  increase in monthly sales paced by
recently  introduced new products - Mercury Montego and Mariner and Lincoln Mark
LT full-size truck. Lincoln Mercury sales in April were up 10 percent.

Sales of traditional sport utility vehicles (e.g., Ford Explorer and Expedition)
were 14 percent lower than a year ago.  Land Rover,  whose dealers offer a range
of luxury  utility  vehicles,  was an exception to the rule as sales  climbed 24
percent due to the all-new LR3, Motor Trend magazine's "Sport Utility Vehicle of
the Year."






Go to http://media.ford.com for news releases and high-resolution photographs.