UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                     FORM 4

                  STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

    Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
       Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
               Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

[  ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5
     obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

================================================================================
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*

   Thornton,                        John                   L.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Last)                           (First)             (Middle)
   c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.
   85 Broad Street
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    (Street)

   New York,                        New York             10004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (City)                           (State)              (Zip)


================================================================================
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

   Ford Motor Company
   F(Common), F.PRB (Series B Pref.)
================================================================================
3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (voluntary)


================================================================================
4. Statement for Month/Year

    December/2001
================================================================================
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)


================================================================================
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
   (Check all applicable)

   [ X ]   Director                             [   ]   10% Owner
   [   ]   Officer (give title below)           [   ]   Other (specify below)


     -----------------------------------------------------------------

================================================================================
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

   [ X ] Form filed by One Reporting Person
   [   ] Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

================================================================================



====================================================================================================================================
                              Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of,                                          |
                                                 or Beneficially Owned                                                             |
====================================================================================================================================
                                  |            |            |                                |                |6.       |          |
                                  |            |            | 4.                             |5.              |Owner-   |          |
                                  |            |            | Securities Acquired (A) or     |Amount of       |ship     |          |
                                  |            | 3.         | Disposed of (D)                |Securities      |Form:    |7.        |
                                  |            | Transaction| (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)            |Beneficially    |Direct   |Nature of |
                                  |2.          | Code       | ------------------------------ |Owned at End    |(D) or   |Indirect  |
1.                                |Transaction | (Instr. 8) |                | (A) |         |of Month        |Indirect |Beneficial|
Title of Security                 |Date        | -----------|     Amount     | or  |  Price  |(Instr. 3       |(I)      |Ownership |
(Instr. 3)                        |(mm/dd/yy)  |  Code  | V |                | (D) |         |and 4)          |(Instr.4)|(Instr. 4)|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                                                                             
                                  |            |        |   |                |     |         |                |         |          |
Common Stock                      |            |        |   |                |     |         |25,395(01)      |    D    |          |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                  |            |        |   |                |     |         |                |         |          |
Common Stock                      |  12/19/01  |    P   |   |      7,600     |  A  |$15.09   |                |    I    |  02,03   |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                  |            |        |   |                |     |         |                |         |          |
Common Stock                      |  12/19/01  |    P   |   |      2,400     |  A  |$15.08   |                |    I    |  02,03   |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                  |            |        |   |                |     |         |                |         |          |
Common Stock                      |  12/19/01  |    S   |   |     10,000     |  D  |$15.05   |-0-             |    I    |  02,03   |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                  |            |        |   |                |     |         |                |         |          |
Common Stock                      |  12/31/01  |  J(04) |   |    2.310877998 |  D  |$15.9935 |-0-             |    I    |  02,04   |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                  |            |        |   |                |     |         |                |         |          |
Common Stock                      |            |        |   |                |     |         |6.824686635(05) |    I    |  02,05   |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                  |            |        |   |                |     |         |                |         |          |
Common Stock                      |            |        |   |                |     |         |82.886431056(06)|    I    |  02,06   |
====================================================================================================================================

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
          owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction
  4(b)(v).
FORM 4 (continued)


====================================================================================================================================
                    Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                 |
                            (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)                                         |
====================================================================================================================================

            |       |        |       |               |                 |                        |        |9.        |10.    |      |
            |       |        |       |               |                 |                        |        |Number    |Owner- |      |
            |       |        |       |               |                 |                        |        |of        |ship   |      |
            |2.     |        |       |               |                 |                        |        |Deriv-    |of     |      |
            |Conver-|        |       | 5.            |                 |7.                      |        |ative     |Deriv- |11.   |
            |sion   |        |       | Number of     |                 |Title and Amount        |        |Secur-    |ative  |Nature|
            |or     |        |       | Derivative    |6.               |of Underlying           |8.      |ities     |Secur- |of    |
            |Exer-  |        |4.     | Securities    |Date             |Securities              |Price   |Bene-     |ity:   |In-   |
            |cise   |3.      |Trans- | Acquired (A)  |Exercisable and  |(Instr. 3 and 4)        |of      |ficially  |Direct |direct|
            |Price  |Trans-  |action | or Disposed   |Expiration Date  |----------------------- |Deriv-  |Owned     |(D) or |Bene- |
1.          |of     |action  |Code   | of(D)         |(Month/Day/Year) |             |Amount    |ative   |at End    |In-    |ficial|
Title of    |Deriv- |Date    |(Instr | (Instr. 3,    |---------------- |             |or        |Secur-  |of        |direct |Owner-|
Derivative  |ative  |(Month/ |8)     | 4 and 5)      |Date    |Expira- |             |Number    |ity     |Month     |(I)    |ship  |
Security    |Secur- |Day/    |------ | ------------  |Exer-   |tion    |             |of        |(Instr. |(Instr.   |(Instr |(Instr|
(Instr. 3)  |ity    |Year)   |Code |V|  (A)  | (D)   |cisable |Date    |Title        |Shares    |5)      |4)        |4)     |4)    |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   
            |       |        |     | |       |       |        |        |             |          |        |          |       |      |
Ford Stock  |       |        |     | |       |       |        |        |             |          |        |          |       |      |
Units       |   07  |        |     | |       |       |   07   |  07    |Common Stock |  17,349  |        |  17,349  |   D   |      |
====================================================================================================================================


Explanation of Responses:

01:  Includes shares acquired under a dividend reinvestment program.

02: The Reporting Person is a Director, President and Co-Chief Operating Officer
of The Goldman Sachs Group,  Inc. ("GS Group").  Goldman,  Sachs & Co. ("Goldman
Sachs") is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of GS Group. The Reporting Person
disclaims  beneficial  ownership of the securities reported herein as indirectly
owned except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.

03:  The  securities  reported  herein  as  indirectly  purchased  and sold were
purchased and sold and were owned  beneficially  and directly by Goldman  Sachs.
Without  admitting any legal  obligation,  Goldman Sachs will remit  appropriate
profits, if any, to the Company.

04: The securities  reported  herein as indirectly  disposed of were disposed of
and were owned beneficially and directly by an investment  partnership of which
affiliates  of Goldman  Sachs and GS Group  serve as the  general  partner  (the
"Fund")  and may be deemed to have been owned  beneficially  and  indirectly  by
Goldman Sachs and GS Group. Goldman Sachs is the investment manager of the Fund.
The 2.310877998 shares reported herein as indirectly  disposed of represented GS
Group's  proportionate  interest in the shares of the Issuer  owned by the Fund.
Without  admitting any legal  obligation,  Goldman Sachs will remit  appropriate
profits, if any, to the Company.

05: Goldman Sachs and GS Group may be deemed to own  beneficially and indirectly
6.824686635 shares of Common Stock, which are beneficially and directly owned by
Goldman Sachs 1998 Exchange Place Fund, L.P. (the "1998 Exchange Fund"). Goldman
Sachs is the  investment  manager of the 1998  Exchange  Fund.  An  affiliate of
Goldman Sachs and GS Group is the general partner of the 1998 Exchange Fund. The
6.824686635  shares reported herein as indirectly  beneficially owned by Goldman
Sachs and GS Group represents a change in GS Group's  proportionate  interest in
the shares of the Issuer owned by the 1998 Exchange Fund.

06: Goldman Sachs and GS Group may be deemed to own  beneficially and indirectly
82.886431056  shares of Common Stock,  which are beneficially and directly owned
by Goldman Sachs 1997 Exchange  Place Fund,  L.P.  (the "1997  Exchange  Fund").
Goldman Sachs is the investment  manager of the 1997 Exchange Fund. An affiliate
of Goldman Sachs and GS Group is the general  partner of the 1997 Exchange Fund.
The  82.886431056  shares  reported herein as indirectly  beneficially  owned by
Goldman  Sachs  and GS Group  represents  a change in GS  Group's  proportionate
interest in the shares of the Issuer owned by the 1997 Exchange Fund.

07:  These  Ford  Stock  Units  were  acquired  under  the  Company's   Deferred
Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors. In general, these Ford Stock Units
will be converted and distributed to the Reporting Person,  without payment,  in
cash, on January 10th of the year following termination of Board service,  based
upon the then current market value of a share of Common Stock.



By: s/ Roger S. Begelman                                    January 10, 2002
---------------------------------------------            -----------------------
      **Signature of Reporting Person                             Date
            Attorney-in-fact


**     Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal
       Criminal Violations.

       See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note:  File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
       If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedures.


       Alternatively,   this  Form  is  permitted  to  be  submitted  to  the
       Commission in electronic  format at the option of the reporting person
       pursuant to Rule 101(b)(4) of Regulation S-T.