Ford’s U.S. sales fell 32 percent in December

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: MSNBC

DETROIT - Ford’s U.S. sales dropped 32 percent in December, the automaker said Monday.

The world’s largest automakers are reporting their December U.S. sales reports Monday, and they’re expected to report further declines in vehicle sales. Japanese automaker Toyota is expected to keep its title of the number-two U.S. vehicle seller.

Sales of the F-series truck drove Ford to higher market share for third consecutive month in December, while full-year U.S. sales for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury totaled 1.9 million, down 20 percent versus a year ago.
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Ford said it estimates its U.S. market share was 14.6 percent in December.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28506755/

[PBS Poll-435]

1. Shocking

:shrug:

[OhioChick]

2. No one is going to buy a car

If they're without a job, or fearful of losing their job. All car makers will feel this until people have jobs.

[L0oniX]

3. Oh but the 570 hp new Mustang will help them out of the slump ...pffft smell it!

[No Elephants]

4. ONLY 32%? So 68% of buyers aren't worried about a warranty? Now, there's good

news for Detroit.

[customerserviceguy]

5. Yet the stock went up today

It rose about 5%, I guess the market was expecting a steeper decline in sales?

I bought some shares about two months ago, when it was near scraping the bottom, they're not looking too bad right now. After a recovery, they should look quite nice.

[RamboLiberal]

6. Toyota and Honda did worse percentage wise

Vehicle sales in the United States tumbled more than 35 percent in December, dragging the Detroit automakers’ full-year totals down to their lowest levels in nearly half a century.

Sales plunged 53 percent last month at Chrysler, which along with General Motors received a $4 billion from the federal government at the end of December to help them remain solvent. It sold just 89,813 vehicles last month, an average of less than one sale per day at each of its 3,300 dealers nationwide. Chrysler sales were down 30 percent for the full year.

Sales fell 37 percent at Toyota, 35 percent at Honda and 32 percent at the Ford Motor Company. G.M. and Nissan reported 31 percent declines.

For all of 2008, Ford’s sales fell 21 percent, a difference of more than 500,000 vehicles, while G.M.’s sales were down 23 percent, a drop of nearly 900,000. The totals were the lowest f0r those companies since 1961 and 1959, respectively, according to the trade publication Automotive News.

Toyota’s sales for all of 2008 were off 16 percent, while Honda’s were down 8 percent. It was the first times since 1995 that either Japanese company posted an annual sales decline.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/business/06auto.html?hp