The Ford Motor Company will be the featured

Vehicle Manufacturer of SEMA Show 2003, according to SEMA, the Specialty

Equipment Market Association. The annual show is planned for Tuesday-Friday, Nov. 4-

7, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

"We are delighted that Ford, which has been a strong supporter of SEMA and the

aftermarket industry, has chosen to culminate its yearlong celebration of a century of

automotive leadership at SEMA Show 2003," said SEMA President and CEO Christopher

J. Kersting, C.A.E.

Kersting added that Ford has been a major cornerstone of SEMA's close relationship with

the OEM community. "It was Ford with whom we began our technology transfer program

between the car companies and our manufacturer members. Ford has been very

enthusiastic about participating at our International Auto Salon, our annual OEM Tech

Talks and measuring sessions, and also very generous in its provision of project vehicles

for our SEMA members to modify, customize, and display at the SEMA shows and other

venues. We're happy that our showcase opportunity will provide global news coverage

to Ford as it concludes its 100th anniversary celebration."

In the past several years, the association says it has become the custom for OEMs to use the SEMA Show

venue to launch new car and truck models and to gain the automotive industry's reaction

to concept vehicles. Kersting anticipates that Ford will continue to maintain that tradition

with its unprecedented presence at this year's SEMA Show.

"Ford Motor Company is pleased to be the featured marque of the 2003 SEMA Show,"

said Jan Valentic, vice president, global marketing, Ford Motor Company. "As the

Vehicle Manufacturer of the Show, we recognize the importance of our participation

during Ford’s centennial celebration that binds our global brand marketing efforts

together with the aftermarket. For us, the SEMA Show is the ultimate expression of

human creativity and invention - certainly a trait that has been passed down from our

founder Henry Ford. As an international venue, the show enhances Ford's opportunity to

showcase the flexibility of our brands for personalization and accessorization."

In addition to Ford, other OEM exhibitors at SEMA Show 2003 will include The Chrysler

Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Panoz, Subaru,

Suzuki, and Toyota. The OEM presence at the SEMA Show has grown from three

manufacturers to the current 13 over the past five years.

SEMA Show 2003 will occupy the Las Vegas Convention Center. Currently, 1,269

companies have contracted for exhibit space totaling a record 824,000 square feet at

the show that incorporates the International Tire Expo. The 2003 show will be organized

into 12 sections, with the carmakers' exhibits distributed throughout the 2 million square

feet of exhibits and hundreds of specially constructed project cars and trucks.

SEMA Show 2002 featured more than 1,500 project vehicles, had approximately 900

entries into its new product competition, and attracted 86,787 AAIW attendees from more

than 100 countries. The SEMA Show is held concurrently with the Automotive

Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX). The two trade shows comprise the Automotive

Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW), one of the two largest business gatherings held in

Las Vegas.

The annual SEMA Show, open only to the automotive industry, is one of several shows

produced by SEMA for the various markets and market niches its wide-ranging

membership covers. More information about SEMA Show 2003 is available at

www.SEMAshow.com.

SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, represents the $27 billion specialty

automotive industry. Founded in 1963, the trade association has more than 4,500

member companies. It is a source of research data, trends and market

growth information for automakers and the specialty auto products industry. The industry

provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for

passenger cars, minivans, trucks, SUVs and recreational vehicles. For more information,

contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA, 91765-3914; call 909/396-

0289; or visit www.sema.org or www.enjoythedrive.com.