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Ford Crossovers Continue to Shine in July; Overall Sales Decline


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SEE ALSO: Ford Buyers Guide
SEE ALSO: Lincoln Buyers Guide
SEE ALSO: Mercury Buyers Guide
SEE ALSO: Volvo Buyers Guide
SEE ALSO: Jaguar Buyers Guide
SEE ALSO: Land Rover Buyers Guide

-- Ford Motor Company's all-new and redesigned crossovers were up 40 percent in July; year-to-date sales also up 40 percent.

-- Overall sales totaled 195,245, down 19 percent compared with a year ago; daily rental sales were down 57 percent and sales to individual retail customers were down 17 percent.

-- Lincoln registers tenth month in a row of higher retail sales.

-- All-new Ford Expedition gains for the eleventh month in a row; Lincoln Navigator was up 8 percent.

-- Land Rover sales rose 19 percent, reflecting all-new LR2.

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 1, 2007 -- Demand continues to grow for Ford Motor Company's all-new and redesigned crossover vehicles, but overall sales declined sharply in July.

Total July sales were 195,245, down 19 percent compared with a year ago. Sales to daily rental companies were down 57 percent and sales to individual retail customers were down 17 percent. The company's crossover utility vehicle sales were up 40 percent in July and year-to-date -- the largest increase of any major manufacturer.

"We are encouraged by the progress we have made and consumers' response to our new products," said Mark Fields, Ford's President of the Americas. "At the same time, we know we have a lot of work to do, and July is a sobering reminder of the economic and competitive challenges we face."

In July, Ford Edge sales were 9,096 and Lincoln MKX sales were 2,870. Edge recently was recognized as the industry's top performing new vehicle in J.D. Power and Associates' 2007 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study (APEAL).

Sales for the redesigned 2008 model Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner crossovers were higher in July. Escape sales were 12,440, and Mariner sales were 2,534, both up 2 percent compared with a year ago.

Sales for the new Ford Expedition (up 22 percent) and Lincoln Navigator (up 8 percent) also were higher than a year ago. Expedition sales were up for the eleventh consecutive month.

The Lincoln brand posted its tenth month in a row of higher retail sales (although total sales were lower reflecting lower fleet sales). In the first six months of 2007, Lincoln sales were 15 percent higher than the same period a year ago -- the largest increase of any luxury brand. Lincoln's rebound reflects the new Lincoln MKX crossover, the new Lincoln MKZ sedan and the redesigned Navigator.

Land Rover dealers reported a 19 percent sales increase in July, reflecting the addition of the all-new LR2 crossover.

                   FORD MOTOR COMPANY JULY 2007 U.S. SALES

                          July Month       %         July CYTD          %
                          ----------                 ---------
                        2007     2006   Change    2007       2006    Change
                        ----     ----   ------    ----       ----    ------
  Sales By Brand
    Ford              160,590  199,735  -19.6  1,285,606  1,492,364  -13.9
    Mercury            10,852   16,635  -34.8    106,044    117,884  -10.0
    Lincoln             8,929    9,125   -2.1     82,262     73,153   12.5
    Jaguar              1,136    1,997  -43.1      9,597     13,646  -29.7
    Volvo               9,549   10,323   -7.5     63,357     69,415   -8.7
    Land Rover          4,189    3,524   18.9     27,031     26,387    2.4
                        -----   ------            ------     ------
      Total Ford
       Motor Company  195,245  241,339  -19.1  1,573,897  1,792,849  -12.2

  Memo: Cars and
   Trucks
    Cars               60,088   89,395  -32.8    527,310    689,329  -23.5
    Trucks            135,157  151,944  -11.0  1,046,587  1,103,520   -5.2
                      -------  -------         ---------  ---------
      Total Ford
       Motor Company  195,245  241,339  -19.1  1,573,897  1,792,849  -12.2

                     FORD BRAND JULY 2007 U.S. SALES

                          July Month       %          July CYTD         %
                          ----------                  ---------
                        2007     2006    Change    2007       2006    Change
                        ----     ----    ------    ----       ----    ------
  Crown Victoria        3,117    5,441    -42.7   39,328     41,551    -5.4
  Taurus (New)          3,907        0       NA    9,868          0      NA
  Five Hundred          2,256    7,881    -71.4   32,565     55,982   -41.8
  Fusion                9,347   13,612    -31.3   88,042     84,701     3.9
  Focus                13,144   14,712    -10.7  109,876    111,108    -1.1
  Mustang              10,684   13,711    -22.1   88,025    100,995   -12.8
  Taurus (Old)              0    8,217   -100.0        0    111,922  -100.0
  Thunderbird               0        0       NA        0        469  -100.0
  GT                        0      147   -100.0      231      1,222   -81.1
                           --      ---               ---      -----
    Total Ford Cars    42,455   63,721    -33.4  367,935    507,950   -27.6

  Escape               12,440   12,170      2.2  104,645    101,509     3.1
  Edge                  9,096        0       NA   67,879          0      NA
  Taurus X                858        0       NA      858          0      NA
  Freestyle             1,847    5,580    -66.9   21,625     41,417   -47.8
  Explorer             11,212   15,851    -29.3   85,916    111,493   -22.9
  Expedition            8,169    6,705     21.8   58,503     47,938    22.0
  Excursion                 0        0       NA        0        965  -100.0
  Freestar                  0    3,635   -100.0    2,390     39,883   -94.0
  Econoline/Club
   Wagon               11,210   13,712    -18.2   106,045   104,640     1.3
  Ranger                5,662    8,014    -29.3    48,632    57,136   -14.9
  F-Series             56,488   68,982    -18.1   411,926   469,159   -12.2
  Low Cab Forward         221      317    -30.3     1,848     2,191   -15.7
  Heavy Trucks            932    1,048    -11.1     7,404     8,083    -8.4
                          ---    -----              -----     -----
    Total Ford Trucks 118,135  136,014    -13.1   917,671   984,414    -6.8
                      -------  -------            -------   -------

    Total Ford Brand  160,590  199,735    -19.6 1,285,606 1,492,364   -13.9

                LINCOLN AND MERCURY BRAND JULY 2007 U.S. SALES

                             July Month      %        July CYTD        %
                             ----------               ---------
                            2007    2006   Change    2007     2006   Change
                            ----    ----   ------    ----     ----   ------
  Grand Marquis             2,035   5,451   -62.7   33,298   39,347   -15.4
  Sable (New)               1,776       0      NA    3,296        0      NA
  Montego                     813   1,810   -55.1    9,531   14,516   -34.3
  Milan                     2,225   3,490   -36.2   22,071   20,952     5.3
                            -----   -----           ------   ------
    Total Mercury Cars      6,849  10,751   -36.3   68,196   74,815    -8.8

  Town Car                  1,079   2,533   -57.4   24,114   24,375    -1.1
  LS                            0   1,179  -100.0        0    7,177  -100.0
  MKZ                       2,679   3,027   -11.5   19,732   18,699     5.5
                            -----   -----           ------   ------
    Total Lincoln Cars      3,758   6,739   -44.2   43,846   50,251   -12.7
                            -----   -----           ------   ------

    Total Mercury
     and Lincoln Cars      10,607  17,490   -39.4  112,042  125,066   -10.4

  Mariner                   2,534   2,484     2.0   22,212   21,082     5.4
  Mountaineer               1,469   2,968   -50.5   14,936   19,243   -22.4
  Monterey                      0     432  -100.0      700    2,744   -74.5
                               --     ---              ---    -----
    Total Mercury Trucks    4,003   5,884   -32.0   37,848   43,069   -12.1

  MKX                       2,870       0      NA   19,724        0      NA
  Navigator                 1,543   1,424     8.4   13,602   13,679    -0.6
  Aviator                       0       0      NA        0    1,711  -100.0
  Mark LT                     758     962   -21.2    5,090    7,512   -32.2
                              ---     ---            -----    -----
    Total Lincoln Trucks    5,171   2,386   116.7   38,416   22,902    67.7
                            -----   -----           ------   ------

    Total Mercury
      and Lincoln Trucks    9,174   8,270    10.9   76,264   65,971    15.6
                            -----   -----           ------   ------

    Total Mercury
      and Lincoln Vehicles 19,781  25,760   -23.2  188,306  191,037    -1.4

  Total Lincoln Brand       8,929   9,125    -2.1   82,262   73,153    12.5
  Total Mercury Brand      10,852  16,635   -34.8  106,044  117,884   -10.0

                      JAGUAR BRAND JULY 2007 U.S. SALES

                                   July Month     %      July CYTD      %
                                   ----------            ---------
                                   2007   2006  Change  2007    2006  Change
                                   ----   ----  ------  ----    ----  ------
  XJ                                290    461  -37.1  2,500   3,340  -25.1
  S-TYPE                            301    570  -47.2  2,305   4,197  -45.1
  X-TYPE                            247    563  -56.1  1,939   3,459  -43.9
  XK                                298    403  -26.1  2,853   2,650    7.7
                                    ---    ---         -----   -----
    Total Jaguar                  1,136  1,997  -43.1  9,597  13,646  -29.7

                       VOLVO BRAND JULY 2007 U.S. SALES

                                 July Month      %      July CYTD       %
                                 ----------             ---------
                                 2007    2006  Change   2007    2006  Change
                                 ----    ----  ------   ----    ----  ------
  C30                              25       0     NA      25       0     NA
  S40                           1,538   2,054  -25.1  12,050  14,298  -15.7
  V50                             233     341  -31.7   1,750   2,434  -28.1
  S60                           2,134   2,228   -4.2  11,579  16,001  -27.6
  V70                             368     582  -36.8   2,082   3,530  -41.0
  XC70                            966   1,051   -8.1   7,166   7,742   -7.4
  C70                             424     575  -26.3   2,920   1,686   73.2
  S80                           1,168     407  187.0   7,330   4,718   55.4
  XC90                          2,693   3,085  -12.7  18,455  19,006   -2.9
                                -----   -----         ------  ------
    Total Volvo                 9,549  10,323   -7.5  63,357  69,415   -8.7

                    LAND ROVER BRAND JULY 2007 U.S. SALES

                                 July Month      %       July CYTD       %
                                 ----------              ---------
                                 2007   2006   Change   2007    2006  Change
                                 ----   ----   ------   ----    ----  ------
  Range Rover                   1,072    851    26.0   6,610   6,569    0.6
  Range Rover Sport             1,317  1,254     5.0   8,928   9,832   -9.2
  LR3                             865  1,417   -39.0   7,134   9,954  -28.3
  LR2                             935      0      NA   4,358       0     NA
  Discovery                         0      0      NA       0       1     NA
  Freelander                        0      2  -100.0       1      31  -96.8
                                   --     --              --      --
    Total Land Rover            4,189  3,524    18.9  27,031  26,387    2.4