If Ford is any Indication, This Month is Going to be Ugly ~ Hybrid Car Review
Hybrid Car Review: If Ford is any Indication, This Month is Going to be Ugly

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

If Ford is any Indication, This Month is Going to be Ugly

Ford sales were down by 26% from last year in the month of August.

Trucks and Vans were down 38.6%, SUVs were down 50.2% and cars were down 9.6%.

That includes the Ford Taurus (down 23.7%)

One of the few bright spots was the Escape, which was up 17.3%.

If Ford is any indication of the type of month car manufacturers had, it's going to get reeeeallly ugly by the time all the reports are in.


Press Release From Ford follows:

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Higher demand for
the fuel-efficient Ford Focus and Ford Escape continued in August, as
consumers continued moving to smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

    Ford Focus sales were up 23 percent and Escape sales were up 17 percent
versus a year ago, while the impact of a weak economy and lower demand for
large trucks and SUVs resulted in double-digit sales declines for Ford and
the auto industry.

    "The Focus and Escape offer the features and fuel economy today's
consumer's want," said Jim Farley, Ford group vice president, Marketing and
Communications.

    The 2009 Escape, with its new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and
six-speed transmission, delivers class-leading highway fuel economy of 28
mpg -- matching the 2009 Toyota RAV4 and topping the Honda CR-V. The 2009
Escape Hybrid delivers 34 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway, making
it the most fuel-efficient utility vehicle available.

    The 2009 Focus has similarly impressive fuel economy with an EPA
highway fuel economy of 35 mpg -- equal to the Toyota Corolla and the
smaller 2009 Honda Fit.

    Overall, during August, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle sales totaled
151,021, down 26 percent. The decline primarily reflects lower demand for
SUVs (down 53 percent) and trucks (down 39 percent) and lower sales to
fleet customers (down 31 percent).

    "We expect the second half of 2008 will be more challenging than the
first half, as weak economic conditions and the consumer credit crunch
continues," said Farley.

    North American Production

    Ford now plans to produce 890,000 vehicles in the second half of 2008
(420,000 vehicles in the third quarter and 470,000 vehicles in the fourth
quarter).

    The second-half plan is 50,000 vehicles lower than the previous plan
(20,000 vehicles in the third quarter and 30,000 vehicles in the fourth
quarter). The reduction primarily reflects lower sales to daily rental
companies, lower production associated with the transfer of the Ford
Expedition and Lincoln Navigator from Michigan Truck Plant to Kentucky
Truck Plant, and a downward revision to the company's U.S. industry sales
forecast (to the low end of the previously provided range of 14.0 to 14.5
million).

    Note: The sales data included in this release and the accompanying
tables are based largely on data reported by dealers representing their
sales to retail and fleet customers.

    About Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), a global automotive industry leader based
in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six
continents. With about 229,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the
company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln,
Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through
Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products,
please visit our website at http://www.ford.com.




                  FORD MOTOR COMPANY AUGUST 2008 U.S. SALES
                  -----------------------------------------

                              August       %           Year-To-Date    %
                              ------                   ------------
                          2008     2007  Change      2008       2007 Change
                          ----     ----  ------      ----       ---- ------
    Sales By Brand
      Ford             133,088  180,282   -26.2 1,250,834  1,465,888  -14.7
      Lincoln            9,540   10,423    -8.5    75,253     92,685  -18.8
      Mercury            8,393   12,296   -31.7    90,400    118,340  -23.6
                         -----   ------            ------    -------
        Total Ford,
         Lincoln and
         Mercury       151,021  203,001   -25.6 1,416,487  1,676,913  -15.5
      Volvo              4,669    9,119   -48.8    55,974     72,476  -22.8
                         -----    -----            ------     ------
        Total Ford
         Motor
         Company       155,690  212,120   -26.6 1,472,461  1,749,389  -15.8

    Ford, Lincoln and
     Mercury Sales By
     Type
      Cars              52,677   57,812    -8.9   510,299    537,789   -5.1
      Crossover Utility
       Vehicles         32,927   33,348    -1.3   273,320    270,291    1.1
      Sport Utility
       Vehicles         10,852   23,087   -53.0   119,773    196,044  -38.9
      Trucks and Vans   54,565   88,754   -38.5   513,095    672,789  -23.7
                        ------   ------           -------    -------
        Total Trucks    98,344  145,189   -32.3   906,188  1,139,124  -20.4
                        ------  -------           -------  ---------
          Total
           Vehicles    151,021  203,001   -25.6 1,416,487  1,676,913  -15.5



                      FORD BRAND AUGUST 2008 U.S. SALES
                      ---------------------------------

                              August       %           Year-To-Date    %
                              ------                   ------------
                          2008     2007  Change      2008       2007 Change
                          ----     ----  ------      ----       ---- ------

    Crown Victoria       3,930    3,340    17.7    35,695     42,668  -16.3
    Taurus               4,462    5,851   -23.7    40,478     48,284  -16.2
    Fusion               9,073   12,511   -27.5   107,603    100,553    7.0
    Focus               16,387   13,282    23.4   155,036    123,158   25.9
    Mustang              8,197   11,512   -28.8    73,961     99,537  -25.7
    GT                       0        0      NA         0        231 -100.0
                             -        -                 -        ---
      Ford Cars         42,049   46,496    -9.6   412,773    414,431   -0.4

    Flex                 2,010        0      NA     5,593          0     NA
    Edge                 9,962   10,165    -2.0    87,197     78,044   11.7
    Escape              14,025   11,960    17.3   116,511    116,605   -0.1
    Taurus X             1,670    4,863   -65.7    18,473     27,346  -32.4
                         -----    -----            ------     ------
      Ford Crossover
       Utility
       Vehicles         27,667   26,988     2.5   227,774    221,995    2.6

    Expedition           3,867    6,883   -43.8    39,627     65,386  -39.4
    Explorer             5,502   11,929   -53.9    60,841     97,845  -37.8
                         -----   ------            ------     ------
      Ford Sport
       Utility
       Vehicles          9,369   18,812   -50.2   100,468    163,231  -38.5

    F-Series            40,429   69,220   -41.6   359,971    481,146  -25.2
    Ranger               4,920    4,783     2.9    50,900     53,415   -4.7
    Econoline/Club
     Wagon               8,081   12,821   -37.0    93,802    118,866  -21.1
    Freestar                 0        0      NA         0      2,390 -100.0
    Low Cab Forward         55      266   -79.3       690      2,114  -67.4
    Heavy Trucks           518      896   -42.2     4,456      8,300  -46.3
                           ---      ---             -----      -----
      Ford Trucks and
       Vans             54,003   87,986   -38.6   509,819    666,231  -23.5
                        ------   ------           -------    -------

      Ford Brand       133,088  180,282   -26.2 1,250,834  1,465,888  -14.7



                     LINCOLN BRAND AUGUST 2008 U.S. SALES
                     ------------------------------------

                              August       %           Year-To-Date    %
                              ------                   ------------
                          2008     2007  Change      2008       2007 Change
                          ----     ----  ------      ----       ---- ------

    MKS                  2,374        0      NA     5,038          0     NA
    MKZ                  2,358    3,216   -26.7    23,336     22,948    1.7
    Town Car               672      855   -21.4    10,654     24,969  -57.3
    MKX                  2,651    3,421   -22.5    22,224     23,145   -4.0
    Navigator              923    2,163   -57.3    10,725     15,765  -32.0
    Mark LT                562      768   -26.8     3,276      5,858  -44.1
                           ---      ---             -----      -----

      Lincoln Brand      9,540   10,423    -8.5    75,253     92,685  -18.8



                     MERCURY BRAND AUGUST 2008 U.S. SALES
                     ------------------------------------

                              August       %            Year-To-Date   %
                              ------                   ------------
                          2008     2007  Change      2008       2007 Change
                          ----     ----  ------      ----       ---- ------

    Grand Marquis        2,182    2,245    -2.8    21,492     35,543  -39.5
    Sable                1,226    1,987   -38.3    12,928     14,814  -12.7
    Milan                1,816    3,013   -39.7    24,078     25,084   -4.0
    Mariner              2,609    2,939   -11.2    23,322     25,151   -7.3
    Mountaineer            560    2,112   -73.5     8,580     17,048  -49.7
    Monterey                 0        0      NA         0        700 -100.0
                             -        -                 -        ---

      Mercury Brand      8,393   12,296   -31.7    90,400    118,340  -23.6



                      VOLVO BRAND AUGUST 2008 U.S. SALES
                      ----------------------------------

                              August       %           Year-To-Date    %
                              ------                   ------------
                          2008     2007  Change      2008       2007 Change
                          ----     ----  ------      ----       ---- ------

    S40                    512    1,463   -65.0     7,715     13,513  -42.9
    V50                    100      211   -52.6     1,251      1,961  -36.2
    S60                    467    1,950   -76.1     7,187     13,529  -46.9
    S80                    576    1,320   -56.4     8,233      8,650   -4.8
    V70                    195      430   -54.7     2,531      2,512    0.8
    XC70                   772      870   -11.3     7,074      8,036  -12.0
    XC90                 1,175    2,556   -54.0    14,186     21,011  -32.5
    C70                    462      293    57.7     4,606      3,213   43.4
    C30                    410       26 1,476.9     3,191         51 6156.9
                           ---       --             -----         --

      Volvo Brand        4,669    9,119   -48.8    55,974     72,476  -22.8

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