Ford Adds Community, Charity ‘Advantage’ To Plan

* Building on the Ford Advantage Plan, Ford will donate $20 in the name of each prospective customer that test drives a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle through June 1, up to $1 million to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®; dealers also can match the contribution.
* Ford Motor Company and its dealers have dedicated more than $100 million to the fight against breast cancer, throughout its 15-year partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
* In addition to helping charities nationwide, the Ford Advantage Plan boosts consumer confidence by covering payments up to 12 months on any new Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle if customers lose their jobs.

DEARBORN, Mich. – Beyond 0 percent financing on select models and payment protection for a full year, Ford Motor Company is expanding its Ford Advantage Plan to ensure critical breast cancer services aren’t compromised while charities work to weather the challenging economy.

Today, Ford is announcing it will donate $20 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® in the name of each prospective customer that test drives a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle through June 1, 2009, up to $1 million. Dealers also may match Ford’s individual $20 contributions in the name of each customer, up to $1,000 per dealership.

In addition, customers will be able to select the local Komen for the Cure Affiliate of their choice for Ford’s charitable contribution.

“Our goal with the Ford Advantage Plan is to rebuild consumer confidence and assist local charitable organizations that also are struggling in this economy,” said Ken Czubay, vice president of Sales and Marketing. “The Ford Advantage Plan also delivers a ‘community advantage’ to remind people that Ford and its dealers will be there to support to support them and the charities they care most about – in good times and bad.”

As a national series sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Series, Ford supports more than 120 Race events nationwide. More than 50,000 Ford employees have participated in Komen Race for the Cure events, and thousands of local Ford dealers support the Race in their communities creating tremendous awareness for the breast cancer movement. Through ‘Warriors in Pink’, Ford captures the true essence of survivorship, celebrating the more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors – the largest group of all cancer survivors – living in the U.S. today.

Additionally, in 2008, more than 18,000 Ford U.S. employees have volunteered 100,000 hours to help people in their local communities; that’s the equivalent of nearly $2 million dollars of in-kind corporate contributions.

“This program will go a long way in helping Komen directly serve women and men in hundreds of communities across the country with education, screening and treatment programs that address breast cancer issues close to home,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “Once again, Ford and its associates are demonstrating the creativity and drive that have made them outstanding Komen partners for the past 15 years.”

Building Confidence
Since launching the Ford Advantage Plan on March 31, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealers have noticed the program is making a difference and building consumer confidence.

“We have definitely seen an increase in showroom traffic since the Ford Advantage Plan was announced,” said Dan Heller, Dealer Principal from Heller Ford in El Paso, Ill.

“We had a customer come in a couple days before the program looking for an F-150 but told us he was worried about losing his job. Within hours of hearing about the Ford Advantage Plan, he came into the dealership and bought the F-150,” Heller added.

Customers also can take comfort in knowing that Ford’s newest vehicles are the best or among the best in fuel economy, quality and cost of ownership.

The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan are America’s most fuel-efficient mid-size sedans, and the Fusion has a higher residual value than the Toyota Camry after three years of ownership, according to the Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG).

Ford also maintains strong residual values throughout its product lineup. Vehicles with strong residual values retain more of their value at the end of their lease contract period.

In addition, Ford’s quality is now on par with Toyota and Honda, and Ford continues to have more top safety picks than any other brand.

How to Make a Difference
Consumers interested in test driving a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle during the Ford Advantage Plan test drive period can participate in two ways, by:

* Logging on to www.fordcares.com and obtaining a registration form and registration number. After visiting a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury dealership and test driving a vehicle, dealers will provide customers with a registration code. Customers visit www.fordcares.com again to input the registration code, validating their form, and activating the donation by Ford in their name; or
* Prospective customers participating in an upcoming Komen Race for the Cure event through June 1 will receive a registration form in their Race packet and can follow the same steps to initiate a donation on their behalf.

To find out more information about the Ford Advantage Plan or the charitable test drive component, please visit www.fordcares.com or www.ford.com.

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 205,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure, we have invested more than $1.3 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.