Smaller Cars Lift Ford’s Profit to $2.55 Billion

By NICK BUNKLEY
Published: April 26, 2011

DEARBORN, Mich. — The Ford Motor Company reported on Tuesday its largest first-quarter profit since 1998, even as sales shift to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.

"As someone who's driven Saabs for 20 years, I'm fairly sure my next car will be an American, and it will be a Ford. I'm sure Henry would be proud."
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Ford earned $2.55 billion in the quarter, or 61 cents a share, up from $2.09 billion, or 50 cents, in the period a year earlier. The results should ease some concerns that the company was losing momentum after fourth-quarter earnings missed expectations, though quickly rising gasoline prices and earthquake damage to auto parts plants in Japan still pose a threat to Ford and the rest of the industry.

Shares of Ford, which had fallen 17 percent in the last three months, were up as much as 3 percent on Tuesday.

“Our team delivered a great quarter, with solid growth and improvements in all regions,â€