Ford sales fall 11.8% in 2007

Richard Truett
Automotive News
January 3, 2008 - 1:44 pm ET
UPDATED: 1/3/08 1:58 p.m. EST

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. ended 2007 the same way it started the year: with
lower sales.

December sales fell 9 percent from the year-ago month while sales for the
year declined 11.8 percent from 2006.

"That was a very challenging December, and '08 is going to be very
challenging," said Jim Farley, Ford group vice president of marketing and
communications. "So my head is swimming with ideas of what we're going to
do."

For the full year, it seems as if every piece of good news for Ford is
countered by something negative. For example:
 -- Though the F-150 pickup retains its crown as the nation's top-selling
vehicle for the 31st straight year, its sales were down 13.2 percent for the
year. F-series sales totaled 690,589 in 2007, down from 796,039 in 2006.
 -- With a 9 percent sales gain for the year, Lincoln's sales slump may be
over. But Lincoln logged a 21.4 percent drop in December sales. Powered by
new vehicles such as the MKZ sedan and MKX crossover, Lincoln's 2007 sales
totaled 131,487 for 2007, up from 120,476 in 2006.
 -- Sales of Ford's crossover vehicles topped the internal sales projection
for the year by 30 percent. But the Explorer, once Ford's cash cow and the
nation's best-selling SUV, finished a dismal year with sales down 18 percent
from 2006.

Counting all of Ford's brands, 2007 sales totaled 2.55 million units, down
11.8 percent from 2.90 million in 2006.

Volkswagen AG, meanwhile, sold 29,359 vehicles in the United States last
month, down 9.6 percent from the same month a year ago. For 2007, VW sold
328,068 vehicles in the United States, down 0.3 percent from 2006. The
figures include Audi sales.