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Ford Announces New SoCal Environmental Initiative

16 September 1998

Ford Motor Company Announces New SoCal Environmental Initiative

           Lincoln Mercury President Announces $1,000 Incentive to
      Retire Older Vehicles and Reduce Pollution in Southern California

    IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 15 -- Ford Motor Company today
announced a pilot vehicle retirement program -- "Cleaner, Safer - Sooner!" --
designed to improve air quality and the safety of highways in Southern
California by encouraging owners of older vehicles to turn them in for
scrapping.  In an address to the Orange County Forum of business and community
leaders at the Irvine Marriott, the president of Irvine-based Lincoln Mercury
said the program would initially be targeted at removing 1989 and older
vehicles from roads in the L.A. basin.
    "`Cleaner, Safer - Sooner!' will make it easier and more affordable for
Southern California residents to retire older cars -- whose fuel efficiency,
safety features and emission levels are not up to current standards -- and to
own newer vehicles -- sooner," said Mark Hutchins, president of Lincoln
Mercury and Ford Motor Company vice president.  "And, it will take the older
vehicles off the road."
    "Cleaner, Safer - Sooner!" runs from October 3, 1998 to January 5, 1999 in
Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.  Owners of '89 or
older cars or light trucks can exchange their vehicle for $1,000 toward the
purchase of a new '98 or '99 Lincoln, Mercury or Ford vehicle, or an eligible
'96 or newer used vehicle.  This $1,000 credit will be offered in addition to
lower base prices and any other incentives available on the new vehicle.  The
trade-in vehicles will be "retired" -- inspected, assessed, drained of fluids,
and scrapped for materials.
    Speaking for Ford Motor Company, Hutchins said: "California is both the
center of automotive trends and a national leader in the development of
environmental issues.  Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers sell more cars and
trucks in California than any other manufacturer and, as automotive industry
leaders in California, want to be part of the solution to environmental
concerns in the state.  `Cleaner, Safer - Sooner!' is just one example of our
commitment to partnering with the community."
    "Cleaner, Safer - Sooner!" is a pilot program that will be evaluated for
future implementation in other parts of California and the nation at its
completion in January 1999.  In Germany, Ford launched a similar program, the
"Clean and Safe" initiative, which has successfully retired 300,000 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company is targeting Southern California because it has the highest
smog levels in the nation.
    In addition to launching "Cleaner, Safer - Sooner!" Ford Motor Company
through Lincoln Mercury is proud to be a major sponsor of several
environmental programs in Southern California including the L.A. River Clean
Up, Heal the Bay, and Orange County's Trails 4 All.