Motoryzacja

Sales of Ford Motor Co. cars and trucks plummeted 26.6% in August, despite healthy gains of the company's fuel-efficient cars, such as the Focus compact car, which was up 23.4% during the month.

Ford Motor Co.'s president of the Americas, Mark Fields, on Tuesday painted a grim picture of the U.S. auto market and said that Ford would be dedicated to making its future vehicles "meet or beat the competition in fuel economy" in the face of a struggling economy and $4-a-gallon gasoline, which has consumers seeking out affordable, fuel-efficient models.

With American consumers' confidence eroded by falling home values and rising energy costs, vehicle sales slumped in November and automakers braced for another tough year in 2008. Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. all posted virtually flat sales results for November compared with a year ago.

U.S. sales of Ford Motor Co. cars and trucks were down 9.5% in October, compared to the same period a year ago, bring the company's results for the year down 13%.

As sales of Ford Motor Co.'s franchise F-150 pickup plummet, sales are thriving for the company's compact Focus sedan, which is built by more than 2,900 workers in Wayne. Sales of the Focus were up 35.7% through May. Retail sales to individuals more than doubled last month, as consumers sought out more fuel-efficient, affordable models.