Ford August Sales Fall 11%

DETROIT (TheStreet) -- Ford(F) said sales fell 11% in August, reflecting a decline from sales stimulated by last year's Cash For Clunkers Program.

During the month, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealers delivered 157,503 new vehicles in August, and Ford said its retail market share grew for the 22nd time in 23 months.

Ford's Focus and Escape were among the major beneficiaries from the 2009 incentive program, and both showed large declines from last year's August levels. Focus sales fell 40% to 15,446, while Escape sales were down 29% to 14,838.

Ford reported a handful of year-to-year sales gains in August. Sales of the F-Series truck rose 5% to 47,652. Sales of the E-Series van rose 92% to 10,251. And Taurus sales rose 51% to 5,122.

In the fourth quarter, Flan plans to produce 570,000 vehicles, down slightly from 574,000 a year earlier. Third-quarter production is also slated to be 570,000 vehicles. "The Ford plan is to match capacity with the real demand, and we continue to monitor the key economic indicators as we make adjustments," sale Ken Czubay,

-- Written by Ted Reed in Charlotte, N.C. .

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