<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-5
<SEQUENCE>3
<FILENAME>edcp032602ex51.txt
<TEXT>

                                                                    Exhibit 5.1

                                [OBJECT OMITTED]


Ford Motor Company                                      One American Road
                                                        P.O. Box 1899
                                                        Dearborn, Michigan 48126

                                                        March 28, 2002

Ford Motor Company
One American Road
Dearborn, Michigan 48126

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     This  will  refer  to  the   Registration   Statement   on  Form  S-8  (the
"Registration  Statement")  that is  being  filed  by Ford  Motor  Company  (the
"Company")  with the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (the  "Commission")
pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities  Act"), with
respect  to  the  obligations  of  the  Company  under  the  Company's  Deferred
Compensation  Plan (the  "Plan") to pay in the future the value of the  deferred
compensation  accounts,  as  defined  in  the  Plan,  adjusted  to  reflect  the
performance,   whether  positive  or  negative,   of  the  selected  measurement
investment  options during the deferral period,  in accordance with the terms of
the Plan (the "Obligations").

     As an Assistant  Secretary  and Counsel of the Company,  I am familiar with
the  Certificate  of  Incorporation  and the By-Laws of the Company and with its
affairs, including the actions taken by the Company in connection with the Plan.
I also have examined such other  documents  and  instruments  and have made such
further  investigation  as I have deemed  necessary or appropriate in connection
with this opinion.

     Based upon the foregoing, it is my opinion that:

     (1) The Company is duly  incorporated and validly existing as a corporation
under the laws of the State of Delaware.

     (2) All necessary  corporate  proceedings  have been taken to authorize the
issuance of the Obligations  being registered under the Registration  Statement,
and all such  Obligations  issued in  accordance  with the Plan will be  legally
issued, fully paid and non-assessable when the Registration Statement shall have
become effective and the Company shall have received  therefor the consideration
provided in the Plan.

<PAGE>

                                      -2-

     I  hereby  consent  to the  use  of  this  opinion  as  Exhibit  5.1 to the
Registration  Statement. In giving this consent, I do not admit that I am in the
category of persons whose consent is required  under Section 7 of the Securities
Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission issued thereunder.


                                                   Very truly yours,

                                                   /s/Kathryn S. Lamping
                                                   ---------------------------
                                                   Kathryn S. Lamping
                                                   Assistant Secretary
                                                     and Counsel




</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
