---

Ford Division Sponsors Downhill Ski Series

4 December 1998

What Drives Champions? Ford SUVs. Ford Division Sponsors Downhill Ski Series to Connect With Customers

    ASPEN, Colo., Dec. 4 -- Ford Division, for the first time, is
sponsoring the world's most competitive professional downhill ski race -- the
Ford Downhill Series.  The Series kicks off on December 5 in Aspen, Colorado,
with elite skiers Tommy Moe and AJ Kitt competing on the U.S. team.
    "Sponsoring a high profile sports event like this gives Ford great
exposure to the people we want to reach," explained Ford Division SUV Group
Brand Manager J.C. Collins.  "We want people who ski and follow this
competition to know that the best way to get to and from the slopes is in a
Ford Expedition or Explorer.  This association is a great way to communicate
that message."
    "We're also using the Series as a way to surprise and delight our
customers.  We're inviting customers and dealers to race events as a way of
saying thank you for their support," he continued.  "National television
exposure is an added benefit.  The first two races of the Ford Downhill Series
will be broadcast on NBC, and the last two races will be broadcast on FOX.
Through this sponsorship Ford will reach millions of potential customers."
    Ford will be displaying vehicles at all race sites, exhibiting concept
vehicles at certain locations, and presenting each of the winning team members
with a Ford Explorer, in addition to $500,000 in prize money.

    Ford Explorer and Expedition Dominate SUV Market
    "We expect 1998 will be our best year ever for SUVs," Collins said.  "For
calendar year 1998, Explorer is on track to set an all-time sales record,
out-pacing all other SUVs.  Expedition will also have a record year as the
best-selling full-size SUV."
    Ford Explorer has been the best-selling SUV in the U.S. since its debut in
1990.  In 1998 it will outsell its nearest competitor by nearly 2:1.
Expedition has been the sales leader since it was introduced in late 1996.
    The coming of age for SUVs began in the 1990's; they had instant appeal to
the Baby Boom population.  Sales of SUVs grew explosively throughout this
decade and in 1998 will capture about 17 percent of the market.  SUV sales
topped one million units for the first time in 1993 and will exceed
2.7 million in 1998.

    The Cleanest SUVs are Fords
    "Ford is definitely a leader when it comes to our SUV offerings," Collins
explained.  "All of our 1999-model SUVs are low emission vehicles that run
cleaner than most passenger cars on the road today.
    "This is a growing but very competitive market segment," he continued.
"The manufacturer who best understands and responds to the needs and wants of
its customers has the greatest opportunity to dominate the marketplace.  We
think that will be Ford."

    Ford Division's SUV lineup on display at most of the race venues includes:

    Ford Park Ranger Expedition -- This "green machine" is fueled by natural
     gas and part of a special fleet of 50 natural gas SUVs used by police in
     Park City, Utah, and Aspen, Colorado, as well as by lifeguards on the
     beaches of Los Angeles.  It generates 20 percent less carbon dioxide than
     equivalent gasoline-powered vehicles and emits 85 percent fewer
     smog-forming hydrocarbon emissions.

    Ford Himalaya Expedition -- A concept vehicle named for the highest, most
     treacherous mountain range in the world and designed to tackle the
     toughest terrain.  It features an open bed with a tough 5.4-liter Triton
     V8 engine, a ride height raised four inches with a Rancho Suspension
     System, and RS9000 adjustable shocks controlled by an in-cab remote
     system.

    Ford Explorer -- America's best-selling sport utility offers more fun and
     features in 1999 including a Reverse Sensing System, a short-range rear
     warning system that alerts drivers to certain objects near the rear of
     the vehicle when it is backing up; optional side air bags designed to
     provide enhanced head and chest protection during certain side impact
     crashes; Homelink, enabling the operation of up to three remote control
     units, such as a garage door opener, home security system or home
     lighting from inside the car; and Travelnote, an electronic message
     organizer that records and plays messages.  Ford Explorer's powertrain
     lineup remains the same for 1999, with a 4.OL SEFI OHV V-6, a 4.OL SOHC
     V-6, and a 5.OL OHV V-8 offered.

    Ford Expedition -- With seating for up to nine passengers, Ford Expedition
     combines the ruggedness of the Ford F-Series platform with refined
     styling and an adventurous capability to satisfy the customer who wants
     it all.  It is available in XLT or Eddie Bauer series, with choice of
     two- or four-wheel drive and a standard Triton 4.6-liter SOHC V-8 or
     optional Triton 5.4-liter SOHC V-8.  New to the 1999-model are power
     adjustable brake and accelerator pedals, more power under the hood, a
     fail-safe cooling system, and three positions for four-wheel drive, among
     other improvements.  J.D. Power and Associates ranked Expedition as the
     "No. 1 Truck Overall (across all segments)" and the "Best Full Size SUV"
     in its 1998 model survey.