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Ford's U.S. Sales Rise for the 2nd Straight Month; Double-Digit Gains for New Expedition, Navigator


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* Ford's October U.S. sales totaled 215,985, up 8 percent compared with a year ago. * Car sales totaled 82,949, up 22 percent; truck sales totaled 133,036, up 1 percent. * Ford Fusion (up 143 percent), Mercury Milan (up 67 percent), Lincoln MKZ (up 90 percent), Ford Focus (up 27 percent) and the outgoing Ford Taurus (up 73 percent) pace the car sales increase. * New Ford Expedition (up 41 percent) and Lincoln Navigator (up 44 percent) post double-digit gains in October. * Ford Escape surpasses 1 million sales milestone in October - and cements its position as the best-selling small utility since its introduction in late 2000. * Ford October inventories are 107,000 units lower than a year ago.

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 1 -- Ford Motor Company's dealers delivered 215,985 vehicles to U.S. customers in October, up 8 percent compared with a year ago. It is the second monthly sales increase for the company, which posted a 5-percent increase in September.

October car sales were up 22 percent as sales for the company's new mid- size cars (Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ) were more than double a year ago. The Ford Focus and the outgoing Ford Taurus also posted sharply higher sales.

Truck sales were up 1 percent, led by gains for the new 2007-model Expedition and Navigator, which now are on sale in dealerships.

Expedition sales were 8,553 (up 41 percent), and Navigator sales were 2,066 (up 44 percent).

Ford's F-Series pickup also was up 3 percent, and the Ford Econoline full- size van was up 31 percent.

October sales for the Ford Escape (9,603) lifted the vehicle's lifetime sales to more than 1 million. The Escape has been the best-selling small utility vehicle in the United States since it was introduced in late 2000. Cumulative sales now total 1,001,186.

U.S. Inventories Lower At the end of October, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury inventories were estimated at 622,000 units. This level is 107,000 units lower than a year ago and 30,000 units lower than at the end of September. The company estimates three- quarters of the present inventory is new 2007 models.

"We are very serious about aligning inventories with demand," said Al Giombetti, president, Ford and Lincoln Mercury sales and marketing. "Our dealers did an outstanding job with the 2006 model sell-down program, and we took a painful but necessary action to reduce fourth-quarter production."

                FORD MOTOR COMPANY OCTOBER 2006 U.S. SALES

                        October Month      %         October CYTD        %
                        2006     2005   Change      2006      2005    Change
  Sales By Brand
     Ford              183,188  166,266   10.2  2,094,381  2,257,104   -7.2
     Mercury            10,277   10,922   -5.9    156,695    172,127   -9.0
     Lincoln             8,766    8,477    3.4     98,260    102,177   -3.8
     Jaguar              1,366    1,758  -22.3     17,874     26,042  -31.4
     Volvo               8,384    8,671   -3.3     98,053    106,431   -7.9
     Land Rover          4,004    3,753    6.7     37,531     34,683    8.2
        Total Ford
         Motor Company 215,985  199,847    8.1  2,502,794  2,698,564   -7.3

  Memo: Cars and
   Trucks
     Cars               82,949   67,958   22.1    962,190    896,987    7.3
     Trucks            133,036  131,889    0.9  1,540,604  1,801,577  -14.5
        Total Ford
         Motor Company 215,985  199,847    8.1  2,502,794  2,698,564   -7.3

                    FORD BRAND OCTOBER 2006 U.S. SALES

                     October Month        %         October CYTD       %
                     2006     2005     Change      2006     2005    Change

  Crown Victoria     4,465    4,203      6.2      55,257    57,061    -3.2
  Five Hundred       6,010    7,915    -24.1      74,092    92,155   -19.6
  Taurus            20,750   11,992     73.0     168,746   173,659    -2.8
  Fusion             9,908    4,078    143.0     120,994     4,078  2867.0
  Focus             11,412    8,969     27.2     152,242   164,041    -7.2
  Mustang           11,786   11,234      4.9     145,055   139,719     3.8
  Thunderbird            0      400   -100.0         469     9,017   -94.8
  GT                   102      165    -38.2       1,600       937    70.8
    Total Ford Cars 64,433   48,956     31.6     718,455   640,667    12.1

  Freestyle          3,297    6,707    -50.8      52,572    66,355   -20.8
  Escape             9,603    9,974     -3.7     132,666   142,208    -6.7
  Explorer          11,976   12,122     -1.2     155,246   209,000   -25.7
  Expedition         8,553    6,047     41.4      68,759    97,825   -29.7
  Excursion              0    1,165   -100.0         965    14,748   -93.5
  Freestar           2,815    5,155    -45.4      47,644    69,215   -31.2
  Econoline/
   Club Wagon       18,662   14,210     31.3     152,053   150,011     1.4
  Ranger             6,471    6,354      1.8      78,650   106,261   -26.0
  F-Series          55,947   54,404      2.8     672,732   749,094   -10.2
  Low Cab Forward      252      146     72.6       3,057       437   599.5
  Heavy Trucks       1,179    1,026     14.9      11,582    11,283     2.7
    Total Ford
     Trucks        118,755  117,310      1.2   1,375,926 1,616,437   -14.9

    Total Ford
     Brand         183,188  166,266     10.2   2,094,381 2,257,104    -7.2

            LINCOLN AND MERCURY BRAND OCTOBER 2006 U.S. SALES

                            October Month     %       October CYTD       %
                            2006    2005   Change     2006     2005   Change

  Grand Marquis             2,495   2,957   -15.6   48,654   59,460   -18.2
  Montego                   1,508   2,016   -25.2   19,659   23,246   -15.4
  Sable                         0   1,050  -100.0        0   22,899  -100.0
  Milan                     2,229   1,336    66.8   30,563    1,336  2187.6
    Total Mercury Cars      6,232   7,359   -15.3   98,876  106,941    -7.5

  Town Car                  3,037   2,908     4.4   32,246   39,916   -19.2
  LS                          429     821   -47.7    8,797   17,518   -49.8
  MKZ                       2,288   1,204    90.0   26,291    1,204  2083.6
    Total Lincoln Cars      5,754   4,933    16.6   67,334   58,638    14.8

    Total Mercury
     and Lincoln Cars      11,986  12,292    -2.5  166,210  165,579     0.4

  Mariner                   2,146   1,395    53.8   28,600   29,386    -2.7
  Mountaineer               1,574   1,740    -9.5   25,113   28,351   -11.4
  Monterey                    325     428   -24.1    4,106    7,449   -44.9
    Total Mercury Trucks    4,045   3,563    13.5   57,819   65,186   -11.3

  Navigator                 2,066   1,431    44.4   18,547   21,714   -14.6
  Aviator                       0     800  -100.0    1,711   14,585   -88.3
  Mark LT                     946   1,313   -28.0   10,668    7,240    47.3
    Total Lincoln Trucks    3,012   3,544   -15.0   30,926   43,539   -29.0

    Total Mercury
     and Lincoln Trucks     7,057   7,107    -0.7   88,745  108,725   -18.4

    Total Mercury
     and Lincoln Vehicles  19,043  19,399    -1.8  254,955  274,304    -7.1

  Total Lincoln Brand       8,766   8,477     3.4   98,260  102,177    -3.8
  Total Mercury Brand      10,277  10,922    -5.9  156,695  172,127    -9.0

                   JAGUAR BRAND OCTOBER 2006 U.S. SALES

                                  October Month   %     October CYTD     %
                                  2006   2005  Change   2006    2005  Change
  XJ                               315    615  -48.8   4,096   7,048  -41.9
  S-TYPE                           314    541  -42.0   5,335   7,452  -28.4
  X-TYPE                           308    495  -37.8   4,660   9,499  -50.9
  XK                               429    107  300.9   3,783   2,043   85.2
    Total Jaguar                 1,366  1,758  -22.3  17,874  26,042  -31.4

                   VOLVO BRAND OCTOBER 2006 U.S. SALES

                             October Month    %      October CYTD       %
                             2006   2005   Change    2006    2005    Change
  S40                        2,131  1,872     13.8  20,758   21,330    -2.7
  V50                          363    436    -16.7   3,528    4,926   -28.4
  V40                            0      0       NA       0        8  -100.0
  S60                        1,723  1,482     16.3  22,109   21,549     2.6
  V70                          377    447    -15.7   4,990    6,439   -22.5
  XC70                         895  1,132    -20.9  11,343   12,373    -8.3
  C70                          501     10  4,910.0   3,053    1,429   113.6
  S80                           69    705    -90.2   5,213    9,018   -42.2
  XC90                       2,325  2,587    -10.1  27,059   29,359    -7.8
    Total Volvo              8,384  8,671     -3.3  98,053  106,431    -7.9

                 LAND ROVER BRAND OCTOBER 2006 U.S. SALES

                               October Month     %     October CYTD     %
                                2006   2005   Change   2006    2005  Change
  Range Rover                    800    968   -17.4   9,221  10,338  -10.8
  Range Rover Sport            1,823  1,439    26.7  14,463   6,095  137.3
  LR3                          1,381  1,082    27.6  13,806  15,354  -10.1
  Discovery                        0      2  -100.0       1     809  -99.9
  Freelander                       0    262  -100.0      40   2,087  -98.1
    Total Land Rover           4,004  3,753     6.7  37,531  34,683    8.2