Ford US sales plunge 40 pct., Toyota down 32 pct.
Feb 3 02:00 PM US/Eastern
By KIMBERLY S. JOHNSON and BREE FOWLER

DETROIT (AP) – Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday its U.S. vehicle sales fell 40 percent in January, setting an abysmal start to 2009 for the automaker and the industry overall as sales to fleet buyers like rental car companies weighed down the results.

Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp. posted a 32 percent drop for the month but managed to outsell Ford.

Ford sold 93,060 light vehicles in January, compared with 155,832 in the same month of 2008. Toyota sold 117,287 vehicles, down from 171,849. Light vehicle sales exclude heavy trucks.

Other automakers also are expected to report lower sales when they release their figures later Tuesday. The industry has reported at least a 30 percent decline in U.S. sales every month since October.

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