First, we're all assuming you're using a decent version of Ghost, such as
v2003 and not that dopey v9. If so, yes, you can use the DOS version and
script the command.
As for scripting the ghost command, study the switches MoiMeme referred you
to. Your command might look something similar to:
ghost -clone,mode=prestore,src=c:\img\FI.GHO:1,dst=1:2 -batch -sure -quiet
(This is just an example I cut-and-pasted from a batch file Dell uses in
their recovery partition. )
Forget the "autorun" CD--that's for launching the CD automatically after
you're already in Windows. Instead, you want a bootable CD--the computer
doesn't boot into Windows, it boots straight from the CD into DOS, where you
can have the autoexec.bat file launch the ghost command.
Will your Ghost image fit on a single CD? If not, swapping disks is an
issue you'll have to deal with. If you can count on DVD drives in all
computers, you could make a DVDR instead of a CDR.
Also, if you've never created a bootable CD, that's a whole 'nuther topic.
Take a look at
http://radified.com/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.cgi. That BBS is all
about Ghost and has lots of knowledgeable people who do the kind of thing
you want. Your question is really only peripherally about XP, so for an
extended discussion it will probably be more useful to take this to
radified.com.