DETROIT — Detroit’s Big Three is becoming Ford and the other two.
While its rivals stay afloat with billions in government aid, Ford grabbed a bigger slice of the American car market in April with record sales of its fuel-efficient Fusion. Those results pushed it past Toyota to retake its post as the nation’s No. 2 car seller.
Even though Ford’s monthly sales tumbled 32 percent from a year earlier, it captured 16 percent of the total market. Most of those gains came at the expense of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, which unlike Ford are dependent on federal help.
Overall U.S. auto sales reported Friday fell 34 percent from a year earlier. Automakers sold about 820,000 light vehicles in April, about 38,000 fewer than in March but still a big improvement over January’s 27-year low.
"It seems we’re bouncing on the bottom of the bathtub, but it’s somewhat stabilized,” Chrysler Vice Chairman Jim Press said in a conference call with journalists. "Maybe we’ve figured out where the bottom is.”
How others are faring
Chrysler, which filed for a government-engineered bankruptcy Thursday, reported the sharpest decline among major automakers, falling 48 percent.
GM, the largest American automaker with 21 percent of the market, posted its smallest decline in four months at 34 percent.
Ford sold a record number of Fusions — 18,321 — with the unveiling of its 2010 gas and hybrid versions of the car. Ford began selling the Fusion with its 2005 model.
Still, sales of the rival Camry, Toyota’s popular sedan, totaled about 25,000 last month, while Honda’s Accord sedan sold more than 29,000.
Toyota Motor Corp., which had overtaken Ford as No. 2 in U.S. sales, fell behind its rival in sales for the first time in months. Ford got a lift from its line of midsize cars that burn less gasoline.
Ford Motor Co. sold 133,979 light vehicles in April, compared with 195,665 for the same month of 2008. The figures exclude sales of heavy and low cab forward trucks. Sales rose from March to April, with Ford selling 2,878 more cars.
April marked the sixth time in seven months that Ford gained in the retail market share.
Chrysler is clinging to a 9 percent share of the U.S. market, down from about 12 percent a year ago.
by the associated press
While its rivals stay afloat with billions in government aid, Ford grabbed a bigger slice of the American car market in April with record sales of its fuel-efficient Fusion. Those results pushed it past Toyota to retake its post as the nation’s No. 2 car seller.
Even though Ford’s monthly sales tumbled 32 percent from a year earlier, it captured 16 percent of the total market. Most of those gains came at the expense of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, which unlike Ford are dependent on federal help.
Overall U.S. auto sales reported Friday fell 34 percent from a year earlier. Automakers sold about 820,000 light vehicles in April, about 38,000 fewer than in March but still a big improvement over January’s 27-year low.
"It seems we’re bouncing on the bottom of the bathtub, but it’s somewhat stabilized,” Chrysler Vice Chairman Jim Press said in a conference call with journalists. "Maybe we’ve figured out where the bottom is.”
How others are faring
Chrysler, which filed for a government-engineered bankruptcy Thursday, reported the sharpest decline among major automakers, falling 48 percent.
GM, the largest American automaker with 21 percent of the market, posted its smallest decline in four months at 34 percent.
Ford sold a record number of Fusions — 18,321 — with the unveiling of its 2010 gas and hybrid versions of the car. Ford began selling the Fusion with its 2005 model.
Still, sales of the rival Camry, Toyota’s popular sedan, totaled about 25,000 last month, while Honda’s Accord sedan sold more than 29,000.
Toyota Motor Corp., which had overtaken Ford as No. 2 in U.S. sales, fell behind its rival in sales for the first time in months. Ford got a lift from its line of midsize cars that burn less gasoline.
Ford Motor Co. sold 133,979 light vehicles in April, compared with 195,665 for the same month of 2008. The figures exclude sales of heavy and low cab forward trucks. Sales rose from March to April, with Ford selling 2,878 more cars.
April marked the sixth time in seven months that Ford gained in the retail market share.
Chrysler is clinging to a 9 percent share of the U.S. market, down from about 12 percent a year ago.
by the associated press
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