Toyota outsells Ford in US market

Toyota is nose to nose with Ford in a tough US market

Japan's Toyota overtook Ford in the US car giant's home market in October.

Toyota's best-ever US monthly sales figures saw it selling 197,592 vehicles last month, ahead of Ford's 195,462 vehicles sold.

Ford continues to lead the US car market in annual sales, with 2.5 million vehicles sold last year against Toyota's 2.2 million figure.

The US car market remains tough for all players, with the housing slump and high oil prices hitting sales.

Fire factor

October marked the end of a three-month run of declining US sales for Toyota.

Ford said cuts in low-margin sales to car rental firms masked strong demand for its more profitable range of sports utility vehicles.

The October wildfires in California, the largest state in terms of US vehicle sales, also played a part in the market.

With about 500,000 people evacuated from homes in Southern California during the widespread fires, vehicle purchases were reduced.

The fires "crimped a key market already impacted by the housing downturn" said Jim Lentz, Toyota's executive vice president of US sales.

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