Some of these cars lasted only a few years before reaching their demise while others lasted as long as a decade, selling only a few models each year. Despite their lack of sales these cars still have numerous admirers. Click next to run through the list of these successful failures.

Renault Alpine GTA
Model Run: 1984 - 1990
Selected By: Bangernomics
Reason: Lighter and quicker than a Porsche 944 with a modern design and significant use of fiberglass and polyester plastics, the Renault Alpine GTA was a true sports car. Unfortunately, the rear-engined coupe could never overcome its high price and lack of interest in the Alpine brand outside of France.

Photo Credit: AutoHistory.blog.hu

Infinit M45
Model Run: 2003 - 2005
Estimated Sales: Less Than 600 A Month
Selected By: Burgesslshan
Reason: The Infiniti M45 was meant to hold the line for the company before it rolled out a series of larger, more powerful vehicles. Based on the Japanese Nissan Gloria, the sedan was actually more appealing than the larger Q45 and featured the same large 4.5-liter V8. Most complained of the styling, so it was a slow seller. We think it looks great and has aged much better than the Q.

Alfa Romeo 164
Model Run: 1989 - 1995
Estimated Sales: Less Than 6,000 Cars A Year
Selected By: Van_Sarockin
Reason: The Alfa Romeo 164 still remains a remarkably attractive sedan, penned by Pininfarina following the Ferrari Testarossa. It's just so Italian and, despite its FWD layout, quick and fun to drive. As with many great cars on this list, the high price made it hard to swallow at a time when the Japanese and Americans were offering similar vehicles at much lower cost — though not quite so striking.

Buick Reatta
Model Run: 1988 - 1991
Estimated Sales: 21,751
Selected By: Zacarious
Reason: The Reatta, though two decades old, is still one of the most fetching non-Chinese Buick products since the Eisenhower administration. It was a technological marvel, featuring a touchscreen computer and an early example of keyless entry. It was also hand built and features a high level of fit-and-finish. The price was high, as well, but this wasn't what killed it. Buick's sudden shift to an older audience meant performance concerns were thrown out the window, which robbed a great platform of a promising future. Because of this, sales were low. Still, it's a great-though-imperfect vehicle.

Merkur Scorpio/XR4Ti
Model Run: 1985 - 1989
Selected By: Paul-Michael Van
Reason: People are constantly complaining about not getting Ford Europe products. Unfortunately, the Merkur Scorpio and the XR4Ti were as close as America got for a good long while. Though the Scorpio wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, the it performed well for its day and offered a large hatch, European style and other great features. The XR4Ti was a much better performer, but was still part of a funky German brand no one understood.

NSU ro80
Model Run: 1967 - 1977
Estimated Sales: 37,204 (over ten years)
Selected By: Zacarious
Reason: "Rotary engine, cab forward design, 4 wheel disc brakes, semi-automatic transmission, independent suspension all in a 1967 sedan ... they should have sold millions." If only rotary engines didn't scare everyone.

Volkswagen Phaeton
Model Run: 2004 - 2006
Estimated Sales: Less Than 3,000 In The U.S.
Selected By: Jagvar
Reason: We've spilled a lot of electronic ink on the greatness of the Phaeton. It's subtle, Teutonic aesthetic and incredible performance outweigh even the price to maintain. It does answer the question: Would someone pay Audi prices for a Bentley disguised as a Volkswagen? Not in this country.

Fourth Generation Pontiac GTO
Model Run: 2004 - 2006
Estimated Sales: 40,808
Selected By: danio3834
Reason: "This was the car that enthusiasts demanded GM build for years, and when they finally brought them over, few followed through with their promise to purchase. Blame it on a bland exterior or poor marketing, but for those who knew and later found out, the last GTO was a near perfect car. It was a car everyone said they wanted, but couldnt buy."

Volkswagen Corrado
Model Run: 1988 - 1996
Estimated Sales: 97,000 worldwide (lower in the U.S.)
Selected By: Us
Reason: The Volkswagen Corrado and its many iterations was one car we truly liked the general buying public didn't. Sure there's a big following, but people were not willing to fork over the cash for the platform. In various trims the Corrado could be had as an attractive hatch all the way up to the powerful-for-the-time 180 HP VR6 trim. It was quicker than a Porsche 944, handled better than your average FWD vehicle, and looked incredibly German. It was quirky, fun, had a hatch and was therefore mostly unloved enough to get canned. it did so poorly they'll probably never bring the Scirocco over here.

Tucker Sedan
Model Run: 1948
Estimated Sales: 37
Selected By: F1Morgan
Reason: The Tucker Sedan, with its exceptionally forward-thinking safety equipment and sporty design, was so good the not-so-Big Three sabotaged the company's efforts. Even if they hadn't, there was so much bad luck and bad press in the creation of the car that the car was Dead on Arrival. Had you purchased one of the few operational cars you'd now be sitting on a vehicle worth almost a $1 million.

Although the salient details are slim as of now, here's what we know from today's press release announcing the "New GM", aka the "General Motors Company.":

"We're also working on new ways to make car buying more convenient for our customers, including an innovative new partnership with eBay in California to revolutionize how people buy vehicles online," Henderson said. "Customers will be able to bid on actual vehicles just like they do in an eBay auction, including the option of choosing a predetermined 'buy it now' price. We'll be testing this and other ideas with our dealers over the next few weeks, and hope to expand and build upon them in the coming months. In all cases, our goal is to make the shopping and buying process as easy as possible for GM customers - on their time and their terms. Stay tuned."

We're told by GM CEO Fritz Henderson that it's "just an experiment." But they are "really excited about it."

So no idea yet as to whether it'd be for all vehicles, whether it would be for just a select few vehicles. The biggest hurdle such an idea faces is the dealer network. More than likely the line in the press release of "testing this and other ideas with our dealers over the next few weeks" indicates it'll more than likely be the dealers who'll be providing these services as opposed to direct-from-manufacturer sales. Either way, as long as the consumer experience is eBay-like, it won't matter to them as they'll perceive it to be direct-from-manufacturer — which is often how they perceive the experience now.

As we've seen almost every month since the huge drop in fuel prices, the biggest sellers are the biggest vehicles — the Ford F-series and Chevy Silverado pickups. Heck, even at the foreign automakers, we're seeing mid-size sedans beating out small sedans with the Camry outselling the Corolla and the Accord outselling the Civic.

1.) Ford F-Series: 33,381
2.) Chevy Silverado: 31,463
3.) Toyota Camry: 31,325
4.) Toyota Corolla: 23,576
5.) Honda Accord: 22,597
6.) Honda Civic: 20,723
7.) Ford Fusion: 19,786
8.) Chevy Impala: 18,709
9.) Nissan Altima: 18,408
10.) Ford Escape: 16,391

[via Cars.com]

GM Reports 129,227 Deliveries in January

* New products and GMAC financing help stabilize retail share above 21 percent for the second consecutive month
* Cars and crossovers were 65 percent of GM retail vehicles sold
* "Presidents Day Sale" begins with 0 percent APR or bonus cash offers on select vehicles for qualified buyers

DETROIT - Driven by an 80 percent reduction in fleet sales, General Motors dealers in the United States delivered 129,227 vehicles in January, down 49 percent compared with a year ago. Retail sales were off 38 percent, but retail market share held steady compared with December. GM's retail share performance was assisted by reduced-rate APR financing capacity through GMAC and a GM loyalty cash offer. GM January total car sales of 43,943 were off 58 percent and total truck sales (including crossovers) of 85,284 were down 42 percent compared with a year ago. Additionally, retail sales for GM cars and crossovers combined were about 65 percent of sales mix in the month.

"We're attacking this unprecedented market as aggressively as possible, while offering more vehicles than ever that provide great value and that Americans enjoy owning," said Mark LaNeve, vice president, GM North America Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. "Our retail market share is a bright spot, holding steady above 21 percent for the second month in a row. That's a full point above the trailing 12-month average. It's important to realize that we accomplished this retail performance as the overall market ran about 6 million vehicles behind where it was last January (on a seasonally-adjusted annual rate) and every manufacturer was deeply impacted."

The newly-launched Chevrolet Traverse crossover continues to gain traction in the market place with total sales of more than 5,200 vehicles. Chevrolet's crossovers, HHR, Equinox and Traverse had 11,666 retail sales, a 10 percent increase compared with last year. The strength of Traverse's launch helped push retail sales of all GM crossovers to 20 percent of all retail vehicles sold by the automaker in January, up about 3 percentage points from a year ago.

"It is important for America to realize that in cars and crossovers, Chevy is fully competitive with Toyota and Honda and continues to gain strength. The Malibu is performing well and the Traverse is building momentum," LaNeve added. "We're doing our part to get vehicle sales moving again. For example, GMAC is providing more reduced-rate APR financing capacity with the Presidents Day Sale, and we're offering bonus cash on select models. Additionally, our national roll-out of the credit union 'Invest in America' program offers supplier pricing and available credit union financing for millions of members."

A total of 923 GM hybrid vehicles were delivered in the month, illustrating the wide range of hybrid product offerings available. GM offers the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade 2-mode hybrid SUVs, the Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura mid-size sedan, and Saturn Vue compact crossover hybrids.

GM has announced reductions in first quarter production to adjust inventories for marketplace demand. This strategic move helped reduce inventories and related costs for GM and its dealers during this historic downturn, but the lack of production also meant that fleet vehicles, which typically are built to order, have been delayed. GM's fleet sales of just over 13,000 vehicles in January were at their lowest levels since 1975.

GM inventories dropped compared with a year ago. At the end of January, only about 801,000 vehicles were in stock, down about 103,000 vehicles (or 11 percent) compared with last year. There were about 363,000 cars and 438,000 trucks (including crossovers) in inventory at the end of January. Inventories were reduced about 70,000 vehicles compared with December. Importantly, of the pickup trucks in stock, 96 percent of the GMC Sierras and 97 percent of the Chevrolet Silverados are all-new 2009 models.

Certified Used Vehicles

January 2009 sales for all certified GM brands continue to be robust after a strong gain a month earlier. GM Certified Used Vehicles, Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, combined sold 39,293 vehicles.

GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling certified brand, posted January sales of 33,695 vehicles, up 1 percent from January 2008. Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 947 vehicles, up 73 percent. Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 3,864 vehicles, up 20 percent. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 538 vehicles, up 25 percent, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 249 vehicles, up 93 percent.

"The certified used vehicle programs are starting the year strong despite the tight credit market and slowdowns in consumer spending and retail demand for both new and used vehicles," said LaNeve. "We continue to offer consumers the largest selection of certified vehicles and a worry-free purchasing experience that comes with one of the best warranties in the business and a factory-certified, 117-point fully-inspected vehicle."

GM North America Reports January 2009 Production; Q1 2009 Production Forecast at 380,000 Vehicles

In January, GM North America produced 65,000 vehicles (6,000 cars and 59,000 trucks). This is down 232,000 vehicles or 78 percent compared with January 2008 when the region produced 297,000 vehicles (106,000 cars and 191,000 trucks). (Production totals include joint venture production of 3,000 vehicles in January 2009 and 13,000 vehicles in January 2008.)

The region's 2009 first-quarter production forecast is 380,000 vehicles (118,000 cars and 262,000 trucks), which is down about 57 percent compared with a year ago. GM North America built 885,000 vehicles (360,000 cars and 525,000 trucks) in the first-quarter of 2008.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), one of the world's largest automakers, was founded in 1908, and today manufactures cars and trucks in 34 countries. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 252,000 people in every major region of the world, and sells and services vehicles in some 140 countries. In 2008, GM sold 8.35 million cars and trucks globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

Note: GM sales and production results are available on GM Media OnLine at http://media.gm.com/us/gm/en by clicking on News, then Sales/Production. In this press release and related comments by General Motors management, we use words like "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "objective," "plan," "goal" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, representing our current judgment about possible future events. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors might include: our ability to comply with the requirements of our credit agreement with the U.S. Department of Treasury; the availability of funding for future loans under that credit agreement; our ability to execute the restructuring plans that we have disclosed, our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources and an appropriate level of debt; and changes in general economic conditions, market acceptance of our products; shortages of and price increases for fuel; significant changes in the competitive environment and the effect of competition on our markets, including on our pricing policies. GM's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q provide information about these factors, which may be revised or supplemented in future reports to the SEC on Form 10-Q or 8-K.

# # #

Thanks to the global economic Carpocalypse, and despite a growth in sales in the Asia Pacific region of 3%, GM still managed to sell fewer vehicles last year than Toyota. It allows the Japanese automaker to wrest the global sales crown from GM it's held for 77 years. The General has reigned atop the global auto sales pyramid since snatching the crown itself from Henry Ford in 1931.

While many have argued Toyota bested GM last year when the Japanese automaker produced more vehicles than the biggest of the not-so-Big Three in 2007. But not so fast as the General doggedly held on to the title of global auto sales champ. Since the crown's been determined primarily on the metric one finds most important, the true "largest automaker" title's really been up in the air. However, with these new numbers, that last debating point is dead. Toyota is truly now the world's biggest automaker.

Full press release below:

GM Announces 2008 Global Sales of 8.35 Million Vehicles

* GM Asia Pacific sales volume grows 3 percent; Chevrolet sales in China grows 16 percent to nearly 200,000 vehicles; 1.09M vehicles sold in China sets record with 6 percent volume growth
* Third consecutive year of more than 2 million vehicles sold in Europe; Chevrolet sales breakthrough 500,000 mark with record share; Opel sets sales record in Central and Eastern Europe with volume up 13 percent
* GM beats the industry with more than 1.27 million total vehicle sales in Latin America, Africa and Middle East Region led by top-selling Chevrolet Corsa, Celta and Aveo
* GM continues emerging markets leadership with 2008 market share growth in 14 of 26 markets

DETROIT – Record-setting sales performance in GM’s Latin America, Africa and Middle East and Asia Pacific regions, and a third consecutive 2 million vehicles sales performance in Europe during 2008, helped General Motors sell more than 8.35 million vehicles globally last year. GM’s nearly 3 percent growth in both the Asia Pacific and Latin America, Africa and Middle East regions partially offset North America sales that declined 21 percent, and growing pressure in Europe that resulted in 7 percent fewer sales. Compared with 2007, GM’s total sales were down 11 percent, reflecting continuing global economic pressures that include tightening credit, falling commodities prices and lack of GDP growth.

In 2008, GM sold 5.37 million vehicles outside the U.S., accounting for 64 percent of total global sales volume compared with 59 percent a year ago.

In the fourth quarter of 2008, GM sales of 1.70 million vehicles were down 26 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago. Most of that decline was reflected in 379,000 fewer vehicles sold in North America as the market yielded to a crushing lack of consumer confidence, and tightened credit requirements, in the United States.

GM Continues Growth in Emerging Markets

“GM’s 2008 sales performance shows that we are continuing to take advantage of new emerging market opportunities and are meeting customer needs with fuel-efficient products that offer compelling design and great value – such as the award-winning Opel/Vauxhall Insignia in Europe, the Buick Excelle in China and the Corsa in Latin America,” Jonathan Browning, vice president, global sales, service and marketing, said today. “We saw sales volume increases in the key four emerging markets of Brazil (up 10 percent), Russia (up 30 percent), India (up 9 percent), and China (up 6 percent).”

“The challenges in the global financial markets, including credit tightening, the drop in commodity prices, and economic uncertainty continue to negatively impact overall demand for new vehicles,” Browning added. “For the total global industry, we saw about 3.5 million fewer vehicles sold in 2008 than the previous year.” With these market challenges comes significant opportunity and GM is well-positioned with new products either on showroom floors or on the way in the near future.

Chevrolet sales in Asia Pacific grew 14 percent in 2008 compared with a year ago. Chevrolet sales in China (up 16 percent) and India (up 9 percent) powered much of this growth. The Wuling brand continued strong growth in China with sales up 17 percent in 2008 compared with a year ago. The Buick channel is very strong in China with the all-new Regal and soon-to-be-launched LaCrosse. The Chevrolet Cruze and Cadillac SRX also will play important roles in taking advantage of China growth in the months and years ahead.

In the Latin America, Africa and Middle East region – a traditional Chevrolet stronghold – 2008 sales grew 3 percent compared with 2007. Chevrolet accounted for nearly 90 percent of GM’s sales in the region and Brazil remains the second-largest volume market for Chevrolet. Also, GMC, Cadillac and Saab showed impressive annual percentage increases in their sales volume – up 24, 22 and 16 percent, respectively, compared with a year ago. GM sales in the LAAM region beat the expected industry performance, with more than 1.27 million vehicles sold.

A large, relatively young population with a low car-per-capita ratio, hold promise for the market in years to come. Several new Chevrolet product launches are on tap for 2009 including the Cruze, Malibu, Traverse and Camaro.

Chevrolet sales in Europe also contributed to the brand’s solid 2008 results, growing 11 percent and breaking though the 500,000 vehicle mark for the first time. Chevrolet is also performing strongly in emerging markets. It remains the top-selling import brand in Russia. In addition, Opel sales in Russia increased by 49 percent, while Saab increased 68 percent in 2008 compared with a year ago. The Opel Insignia won the prestigious European Car of the Year Award – a first for Opel in 22 years and a strong statement about GM’s global midsize vehicle architecture. Important launches for GM this year in the region include the Opel Insignia Sports Tourer and Astra; Chevrolet Cruze; and the new Saab 9-3X and 9-5.

A highlight of GM’s North America regional performance was the all-new Chevrolet Malibu sedan that achieved the highest percentage gain in annual sales volume (39 percent) of any of the top-20 selling vehicles in the United States. While GM’s total North America vehicle sales volume in 2008 declined 21 percent, there were a number of bright future product opportunities highlighted at the North America International Auto Show in Detroit this month. They included the new Chevrolet Camaro and second-generation Equinox; the second-generation Cadillac SRX and all-new CTS sport wagon; and the Buick LaCrosse.

Sales of Cadillac outside of the United States were supported by strong growth of the brand in Latin America, Africa and Middle East (up 22 percent).

Note: Global sales results are based on preliminary numbers reported and have been rounded.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), one of the world’s largest automakers, was founded in 1908, and today manufactures cars and trucks in 34 countries. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 252,000 people in every major region of the world, and sells and services vehicles in some 140 countries. In 2008, 8.35 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

Note: In this press release and related comments by General Motors management, we use words like "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "objective," "plan," "goal" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, representing our current judgment about possible future events. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors might include: our ability to comply with the requirements of our credit agreement with the U.S. Department of Treasury; the availability of funding for future loans under that credit agreement; our ability to execute the restructuring plans that we have disclosed, our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources and an appropriate level of debt; and changes in general economic conditions, market acceptance of our products; shortages of and price increases for fuel; significant changes in the competitive environment and the effect of competition on our markets, including on our pricing policies. GM’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q provide information about these factors, which may be revised or supplemented in future reports to the SEC on Form 10-Q or 8-K.

# # #

Our pickup-truck-lovin' buddies at PickupTrucks.com just put together a full run-down on pickup truck sales for 2008. Taking a quick look at it, the most shocking statistic to us is Toyota is now the third largest seller of trucks in the U.S. market. how far down Dodge has dropped in truck sales. Toyota is now the third largest seller of trucks in the U.S. market with a 14.07% sales share. That's not just the Tundra of course, which saw a steep sales decline in the second half of the year, it also counts the Tacoma. Of course, Dodge's numbers also include the Dakota as well as the Ram.

Other than the Toyota shocker, the rest of the numbers seem to be what we expected — Ford's #1, Chevy's #2.

[via PickupTrucks.com]

Chrysler LLC Reports December 2008 U.S. Sales

- All Jeep(R) brand vehicles achieved sales growth over November 2008

- Chrysler Town and Country sales increased nine percent and Dodge Grand Caravan sales grew 14 percent compared to November 2008

- Dodge Ram light duty pickup sales rose ten percent versus November 2008

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ — Chrysler LLC today reported total December 2008 U.S. sales of 89,813 units, up five percent versus November 2008 (85,260 units), and down 53 percent from the same month in 2007. For the year, Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge U.S. sales decreased 30 percent (1,453,122 units) compared to total 2007 sales (2,076,650 units). Total sales were significantly affected by the industry's largest reductions in fleet sales, 63 percent for December and 31 percent for the year.

"Last year Chrysler and all of our stakeholders persevered through extraordinarily difficult economic conditions, made the necessary adjustments and always kept our focus on serving our customers," said Jim Press, President and Vice Chairman, Chrysler LLC. "As a result, our Company and our dealer network start this year stronger and better positioned to succeed in today's marketplace."

"From a customer perspective, we see consumers selecting vehicles based on their long-term transportation needs and committing to keeping vehicles for longer periods. As a result, characteristics such as utility, flexibility, efficiency and quality will grow in importance. In terms of product focus, Chrysler will continue to invest in quality and fuel efficiency improvements on its current lineup, while developing all-new vehicles for the next generation. From an organizational viewpoint, we will work with all of our stakeholders to continue the restructuring our Company. We have a special bond with the American people now and pledge to continue our efforts to provide the best quality and best value in the marketplace. We are committed to help drive America forward."

December Sales Highlights

— All Jeep brand vehicles achieved sales growth over November 2008 sales. Jeep Wrangler, the brand's top-selling model, marked sales growth of 15 percent (7,048 units) over November.

— Sales of the Jeep Patriot were up six percent in December (2,597 units) compared to November 2008. Year-to-date, Patriot sales grew 38 percent to reach 55,654 units.

— Minivan sales gained momentum over November. Chrysler Town and Country sales in December grew nine percent (8,152 units) and Dodge Grand Caravan sales increased 14 percent (6,927 units).

— Dodge Ram light duty pickup sales were up 10 percent (10,601 units) compared to November 2008, fueled by the availability of the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram.

— The Company finished the month with 397,569 units of inventory, or a 115-day supply. Inventory is down nine percent compared with December 2007, when it totaled 438,390 units.

January Incentives

Chrysler continues to offer customers highly competitive discount and financing programs to kick off 2009. In addition to offering discounts of up to $6,000 on 2008 MY vehicles and up to $3,000 on 2009 MY vehicles to all customers, the Company is also working with Chrysler Financial and additional financing companies around the country to create packages that offer customers a wide range of options for lease and purchase financing. On select 2008 models, 0% financing is available for 72 months, and rates as low as 1.9% APR are available on select 2009 models.

For the new year, Chrysler has entered into a partnership with Credit Unions across the nation to offer an additional $500 to $1,000 discount when any of the 90 million members of Credit Unions purchase or lease a new Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicle. This program was successfully piloted in December in 12 states.

Here's the full press release:

F-SERIES DRIVES FORD TO HIGHER MARKET SHARE FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE MONTH

* Ford, Lincoln and Mercury market share climbs again in December, marking third consecutive month of higher share
* Market share increases driven by F-Series truck; new F-150 piles up more sales and accolades
* Ford Flex caps 2008 with best sales month so far
* Ford Focus posts best sales year since 2004
* Ford Fusion ushers in next generation with near record sales in 2008
* Lincoln outperforms its luxury competitors, grows market share as 2008 concludes

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 5, 2009 – New vehicles, including the all-new F-150 truck, and fuel-efficient powertrains are winning over customers for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, which realized market share increases for a third consecutive month in December. Ford estimates its market share was 14.6 percent in December, up 0.7 of a point versus a year ago. This marks the first time since 1997 Ford has achieved a market share increase three months in a row.

“This is a strong ending to end a very challenging year,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s group vice president, Marketing and Communications. “In addition to finishing the year with increased market share, we received several accolades from third parties concerning our world-class quality and safety, and we turned some heads on the fuel economy front with our 41 mpg Fusion Hybrid, the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedan in America.”

The F-Series truck played a key role in Ford’s fourth quarter market share gains. The all-new F-150 accounted for 8,600 of total F-Series sales in December, an increase of 84 percent compared with November 2008. For the year, F-Series sales totaled 515,513.

“Our thanks go out to our customers, our dealers and, of course, the Ford employees and supplier partners who design, engineer and manufacture quality, fuel-efficient trucks delivering unmatched capability,” Farley said. “The all-new F-150 affirms what Ford has known for years – that listening to customers provides the best rewards.”

The all-new F-150 recently was named 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year™, a finalist for the North American Truck of the Year and the Texas Auto Writers Association’s “Truck of Texas.”

Ford Flex, the company’s newest crossover utility, finished 2008 with its best sales month of the year, netting 2,685 sales. Flex has the highest conquest rate of any Ford vehicle and is a finalist for the North American Car of the Year.

In other car news, Ford Focus posted full-year sales of 195,823, the small car’s highest sales year since 2004 and up 13 percent versus full-year 2007. Focus parlayed SYNC technology and 35 mpg highway fuel economy, which is 5 mpg better than Toyota’s Corolla and 2 mpg better than the smaller Honda Fit, to achieve a market share increase in the competitive small car segment – its first share increase since Focus was introduced during the 2000 model year.

Meanwhile, Ford Fusion posted near-record sales of 147,569 units in 2008. Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ are redesigned for the 2010 model year and will arrive in dealer showrooms this spring. The first-ever Fusion Hybrid will be America’s most fuel-efficient mid-size car with 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on highway – besting the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on highway.

In premium news, Lincoln outpaced the competition as 2008 drew to a close.
Helped by the all-new Lincoln MKS sedan, Lincoln sales totaled 9,053 in December, down 10 percent compared with a year ago. In the fourth quarter, however, Lincoln increased its share in the luxury market as its 16-percent sales decline was less than half of the average decline of all other luxury brands.

U.S. Sales
In December, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sales totaled 134,114, down 32 percent compared with a year ago. Retail sales to individual customers were down 27 percent, and fleet sales were down 42 percent (including a 57 percent decline in daily rental sales), consistent with Ford’s plans.

For the full year, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sales totaled 1.9 million, down 20 percent versus a year ago. Retail sales were down 22 percent, and fleet sales were down 17 percent (including a 22 percent decline in daily rental sales), in line with Ford’s plans.

U.S. Market Share
In the Fourth Quarter, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury’s market share is estimated at 15.0 percent, up 0.9 points versus a year ago. This is the first time since 2001 that the company’s Fourth Quarter market share was higher than a year ago.

For the full year of 2008, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury’s market share is estimated at 14.2 percent, down 0.4 points versus a year ago. This marks the company’s smallest decline in market share this decade.

# # #

Note: The sales data included in this release and the accompanying tables are based largely on data reported by dealers representing their sales to retail and fleet customers.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 224,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit http://www.ford.com

[via Ford]

Carpocalypse Now is going on, that's what! The entire auto industry is screwed at the moment, and it's not just the U.S. automakers. Since Toyota’s and Honda’s numbers are in the crapper it points to what we've been saying from the start. This is less an issue of a problem with our dear domestic car makers and more of a problem with a lack of desire on the part of consumers to buy from any company. People have either already lost their jobs, ot they're scared of losing their jobs — in addition to their houses and their way of life. When people are that scared, they just don't spend money. It's as simple as that.

It also doesn't help there's little in the way of accessible credit so even those who want to buy cars aren't able to buy. Don't mind us. We're just going to head over to hide in a cave somewhere building our hobo costume for Depression 2.0. [source: Ford, Toyota, GM, Honda]