Big Three, Good News | featured news

Ford earned its largest profit in more than a decade in 2010, as demand for its cars and trucks rose and it benefited from years of restructuring.

General Motors Co posted a 7.5 percent rise in December U.S. auto sales and said it expects the industry to report sales at a 13 million-vehicle annualized rate for last month -- far higher than many forecasts and what would be the highest rate of 2010.

General Motors said its domestic sales in April rose 20% for the four brands the company is keeping thanks to continued strength in crossover vehicles and cars.

Ford said European sales rose sharply in March, lifting its market share to a 12-year high, and the company said it is pressing for continued government incentives for car buying.

Chrysler Group LLC Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne reiterated that the auto maker "intends to break even" on an operating basis this year and will hit its target of selling 1.1 million new vehicles in the U.S.

General Motors said Tuesday that United States sales rose 11.5 percent in February over the period a year ago, including a 32.2 percent gain for the four brands it is keeping: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC.

Ford, the only U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy court, clawed its way to a $2.7 billion profit in 2009 and expects to stay in the black in 2010. It was the automaker's first annual profit in four years.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the U.S. government-backed sale of Chrysler LLC to a group led by Italian carmaker Fiat SpA, a victory for the bankrupt automaker and the Obama administration.