Ford sales up for 1st time in two years

• Source: Global Times
• [19:03 August 03 2009]
• Comments

Ford's sales volume grew for the first time in two years, mainly thanks to the "Clunkers for Cash" program. In the government's Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), people can trade in old vehicles or "gas guzzlers" and get rebates of $3,500 or $4,500 towards a new fuel-efficient car.

"We were having a good month — and Ford's been having some good months lately — but the (clunkers) program really put us over the top for sure," George Pipas, Ford's chief sales analyst said in an interview with the Associated Press. He did not disclose specific figures.

Relying on government subsidies, Ford is the only American carmaker who didn't get a government bailout and its performance has been superior to other companies.

Several analysts are predicting this is not only a good news for Ford, but also shows the direction of economic trends in the second half of 2009.

Agencies and Zhang Jie contributed to this story