Ford Motor Company today reported a 9.6% slide in its US vehicle sales in November compared with a year ago, lead by a slump in deliveries of trucks and sport utility vehicles.
The number two US car maker said November sales totaled 182,259 vehicles. The decline came on lower sales to fleets, and a sharp 13% drop in the truck category, which includes SUVs and minivans increasingly shunned by US consumers because of poor fuel economy.
Ford sales of its passenger cars to individual retail customers were up 3%, helped by new sedan models like Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ.
Among Ford's luxury nameplates, Volvo saw a 14.3% increase. But Land Rover sales fell 7.6% and Jaguar saw a 35.2% decline. Ford is studying the possibility of selling one or more of these brands.
Meanwhile, DaimlerChrysler said today that its US vehicle sales rose 5% in November from a year ago to 186,635, led by strong gains for the Mercedes-Benz nameplate.
The German-US car maker said the Chrysler Group, which includes the US brands Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler, saw sales grow 3% year-over-year to 164,556 vehicles in November.
Mercedes-Benz USA, which has been revamping its lineup, reported sales of 22,079 vehicles, a 21% jump and its third highest sales month ever.
