Ford Announces 100th Anniversary Plans

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 18, 2002; Ford Motor Company will commemorate its 100th anniversary June 16, 2003, and the plans to celebrate this historic milestone are well underway.

"The company's centennial offers us a unique opportunity to reflect on our many past accomplishments," said Bill Ford, chairman and CEO, Ford Motor Company. "But it also challenges us to look ahead and create a vision for continuing success in the future."

Ford's 100th anniversary programs will be targeted primarily at key audiences such as employees, retirees, dealers, suppliers, customers, car clubs and automotive enthusiasts. But interest in Ford's 100th anniversary is widespread.

The main communications channel is the company's 100th Anniversary Web site, which can be accessed through www.ford.com . The Web site focuses mainly on the company's people, process and products, but also includes an events guide and an interactive section that allows site visitors to share their Ford stories -- everything from their first Ford product to how the company has impacted their lives.

In anticipation of Ford Motor Company's 100th anniversary, "The Ford Century: Ford Motor Company and the Innovations That Shaped the World," was published and went on sale November 1, 2002. This illustrated (coffee-table style) history book includes more than 500 full-color and archival images of Henry Ford and the machines that shaped the world in which we live.

This book tells the compelling story of Ford Motor Company from its founding in 1903 to the present. Two other books are scheduled to be published in the coming months.

A special five-day celebration commemorating the company's rich history and bright future will be held June 12-16, 2003 on the grounds of the Henry Ford II World Center in Dearborn, Mich. THE ROAD IS OURS 100th Anniversary Celebration will feature one of the world's largest displays of classic, current and concept Ford vehicles, interactive displays and exhibits, children's activities and a 100th Anniversary Concert Series with a wide range of headline entertainment, including country music superstar Toby Keith. Other artists will be announced later.

Registration is available on-line by accessing the 100th Anniversary Web site at www.ford.com . Tickets are $24.95 per person (children age 12 and under are admitted free when accompanying a paying adult). Employees, retirees and families, as determined by the company's A/Z program, receive a special discounted price of $19.95.

The company's 2003 Annual Shareholder's Meeting will be moved to June 16, the date the company was founded, as part of the 100th anniversary program.

Integral to the company's centennial is revitalization of the Ford Rouge Center. The redevelopment will result in lean, flexible and sustainable manufacturing at one of the world's largest and oldest industrial icons.

"I'm proud of the fact that we're building at an existing site. Rather than going to a greenfield location, we are recycling the Rouge," said Bill Ford, Chairman and CEO, Ford Motor Company. "We're demonstrating our commitment to our employees, our hometown and a 20th-century icon. As we celebrate our Centennial, the Rouge will stand as an enduring symbol of our rich heritage and our vision for the 21st century."

The public will be able to see America's best-selling truck, the Ford F-Series, being produced when The Ford Rouge Factory Tour begins in 2004 but a sneak preview will be offered during THE ROAD IS OURS 100th Anniversary Celebration in June. Ford is partnering with Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village to operate the new Visitor Center and plant tour. The Visitor Center is a state-of-the-art presentation venue that will offer two multi-screen theaters, numerous touch-screen interpretive displays, and an 80-foot-high observation deck overlooking the world's largest living roof on the Dearborn Truck Plant.

Ford has also launched a special-edition centennial package for five of its vehicles (Focus, Mustang, Taurus, Explorer, F-250), built six 1914 Model T replicas, and fully restored the company's 20 millionth vehicle, a 1931 Model A.

For enthusiasts and collectors, the company has developed a wide-ranging collection of commemorative merchandise totaling more than 100 different products. Some of the items include: 100th anniversary branded apparel -- hats, t-shirts and jackets, travel mugs, pens, stationery, paperweights, clocks, watches, calendars, key rings, and die-casts. The merchandise can be purchased through the 100th Anniversary Web site, found through www.ford.com , the Ford Collection Catalog or through www.fordcollection.com .

In an effort to reach Ford employees throughout the world, the company has developed a communications program that will roll out in January. A key component to this program is a special "Anniversary-in-a-Box" that was created to help facilities outside of SE Michigan customize their own local 100th anniversary celebrations. The box provides all employees with the opportunity to participate in this historic and significant milestone