VINCENT KESSLER
Ford Motor Co. said its U.S. vehicle sales topped two million in 2011 for the first time since 2007, implying a 15 per cent share in the second biggest auto market in the world.
Ford's small car sales are on pace to post an increase of more than 20 per cent this year, while its utility vehicles are tracking a 30-per-cent gain, the company said.
With gasoline prices higher than last year, customers continue to move toward smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, Ford said.
The company sold slightly more than 1.9 million cars in 2010 in the United States.
U.S. auto sales in December are expected to top 13 million on an annual rate, J.D. Power and Associates and LMC Automotive said.