Ford sales drop 10% in 2002

Ford vehicle sales fell 10% in the United States in 2002 despite a strong finish to the year.

The car maker’s sales of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands totalled 3.4 million last year, compared with 3.7 million in 2001, the second-best year on record for total US light vehicle sales.

Ford was the first major car manufacturer to report December and year-end sales today.

Excluding foreign brands, Ford’s December sales rose 14%, slightly higher than some analysts’ predictions.

Strong December sales are expected to give the US vehicle industry one of its best years on record, but much of the volume was fuelled by profit-shrinking incentives, and serious questions remain about prospects for sales in the coming months.

Ford said its F-Series trucks were America’s best-selling vehicles in 2002 with sales of 813,701.

It marked the 21st year in a row that Ford’s full-size line of pickups topped the US sales charts and the fifth year in a row that sales exceeded 800,000.

Ford also said it was increasing its first quarter 2003 North American production plan by 10,000, to 1.01 million vehicles, because of higher than expected December sales.