Ford Sales Fall in December, Full Year

By DEE-ANN DURBIN

DETROIT – Ford Motor Co.’s sales fell 9 percent in December, ending with a whimper a year that is expected to be the worst for the auto industry since 1998 as consumers fretted over high gas prices and the economy.

Toyota Motor Corp. was expected to overtake Ford as the No. 2 automaker by U.S. sales when it released its figures later Thursday. It would be the first time since 1931 that Ford wasn’t second behind General Motors Corp., according to Ford corporate historian Bob Kreipke.

Ford’s car sales plummeted 24 percent for all of 2007 as some models like the Ford Mustang aged and a new Ford Taurus sedan was unable to match the volumes of the older version. Truck sales were down 5 percent for the year. Ford’s overall sales were down 12 percent for 2007.

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