Ford, Chrysler U.S. sales off 4% in 2003

[expatriot]

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/yhoo/story.asp?guid=%7B4665BDB0-8D34-40A9-B648-DFFC6D3DB4C0%7D

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Ford Motor Co. sold a total of 3.5 million vehicles in the U.S. market last year, while Chrysler Group moved nearly 2.13 million units off its lots, according to automakers' monthly sales figures issued Monday.

Compared to 2002, both Ford (F: news, chart, profile) and Chrysler sold 4 percent fewer vehicles. General Motors (GM: news, chart, profile) also is scheduled to issue fresh sales figures.

The 2003 results reinforced the growing importance of truck sales to automakers' fortunes. However, the Big Three certainly haven't neglected cars at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. See Renegade Report for more.

At Ford, truck sales rose by 1 percent, but this wasn't enough to offset a drop of 12 percent in sales of cars for the No. 2 automaker.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[DemoTex]

1. That 4% decrease is with sales incentives such as 0% financing.

It certainly isn't business-as-usual in the auto industry in the Bu$h economy. I will bet high-end sales were good, though. Got to spend those big tax refunds.

[damnyankee2601]

3. Sure it is.

They pay the Republicans to keep fuel costs down and CAFE impotent so they can keep making the same old non-competitive products and not develop anything new like fuel cells.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Ford will be surprised

they are putting the Escape this year uot as a Hybrid Electric and boy I expect a wait in line to get that...

Yes I can use the SUV for long trips, but not the gas guzzling

[kysrsoze]

5. Judging by how bad Ford's reliability sucks, I wouldn't want to try it out

without seeing how it does for a few years. The US automakers have reaped what they've sown, by turning out crappy cars with terrible performance and awful reliability. The only time they normally innovate is when they're about to go out of business.

[DemoTex]

6. A hybrid electric Ford ...

A hybrid electric Ford will probably make UK's Lucus Electric look positively good. Lord Lucus, the Prince of Darkness. My '69 Land-Rover had a three-position Lucus headlight switch: ON, OFF, and FLICKER.

Seriously though, I'm glad to hear Ford is trying. I hope the product is successful.

[damnyankee2601]

2. Yep...

Looks like the SUV fad is fading, and the only companies with sedans worth buying are Japanese and German, just like the late '70s. I wonder if the RNC global free-trade freaks will bail out Ford like the evil Democrats bailed out Chrysler.

[Moderator]

7. expatriot

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