Ford (NYSE: F) was the hot US car company in 2010. That crown has been taken by Chrysler, at least in terms of growth rate.
Ford’s domestic sales rose 16% in December to 201,703. Sales were helped by the company’s flagship pick-up. Ford sold 68,278 F-Series pickups in December, representing its best December sales results since 2006.
For the year, sales increased to 2,148,806 vehicles, up 11 percent for the year. Ford Fusion had a record year with 248,067 vehicles sold.
The company offered guidance
For 2012, Ford expects the global economy to expand in the 3 percent range, extending the global economic recovery to a third consecutive year. Global industry sales are projected to be in the range of 75 million to 85 million.
In the U.S., Ford expects the economy to expand 2 to 3 percent in 2012 and industry sales to be in the range of 13.5 million to 14.5 million.
The guidance does not offer much clue about Ford’s individual performance expectations.