DEARBORN, Mich.- Ford says it earned $6.6 billion in 2010, its highest profit in more than a decade.

Ford’s U.S. sales jumped 20 percent last year as an improving economy lifted demand for the company’s F-Series pickup trucks. Ford was the top-selling brand in the U.S.

Revenues rose 3 percent to $120.9 billion.

It was Ford’s Motor Co.’s best performance since 1999 and its second straight annual profit.

Ford’s net income, of $1.66 per share, compared with net income of $2.7 billion, or 86 cents per share, in 2009.

But Ford fell short of expectations. Analysts polled by FactSet had forecast earnings of $2.05 per share, but they didn’t take into account some one-time items such as debt repayments.

Ford earned $190 million, or 5 cents per share, in the fourth quarter.

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Ford is aggressively accelerating its commitment to wirelessly connected intelligent vehicles, becoming the first automaker to build prototype vehicles for demonstrations across the U.S., doubling its intelligent vehicle investment in 2011 and dedicating even more scientists to developing the technology. Vehicle-to-vehicle communications could potentially help in 81 percent of all police-reported light-vehicle crashes involving unimpaired drivers, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.

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•The Boss returns! Limited production 2012 Mustang Boss 302 set to become the quickest, best-handling straight-production Mustang ever offered by Ford, based on the world-class foundation provided by the 2011 Mustang GT
•Boss upgraded in nearly every vehicle system; engine output, brakes, suspension, interior and exterior all examined to optimize weight, aerodynamics and track performance >
•Full Mustang team effort results in a comprehensive re-engineering available only through the factory; new Boss is not a package that can be purchased out of a catalog or achieved through tuning or aftermarket parts
•Limited-production track-oriented Boss 302 Laguna Seca model expands on Boss racing aspirations, deleting rear seat and adding race-ready suspension and aerodynamic treatments
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Visit: http://media.ford.com/mini_sites/10031/2012Boss302

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KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 18, 2011 – Ford Motor Company today announced a further commitment to U.S. manufacturing with plans to build a new vehicle at its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri after Ford Escape production moves to Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant and retooling of the Kansas City facility is complete.

Ford will invest $400 million in the Kansas City plant to install a new body shop, new tooling and other upgrades. In addition, the company has committed to retain 3,750 full-time jobs at the plant – consistent with current employment levels. This includes the positions required to assemble the Ford F-150, which will continue to be built at the facility on a separate line.

“This investment and promise of a new vehicle to be built in Kansas City reinforces Ford’s commitment to U.S. manufacturing and American jobs,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “Investing in our plants, products and people is critical to Ford’s ability to compete with the best in the business. Ford is committed to doing everything it takes to work with its partners, including the United Auto Workers, to remain competitive.”

Kansas City Assembly Plant is the fourth North American facility Ford is retooling for production of new vehicles that are at the heart of an increasingly balanced lineup of cars, trucks and utilities. The new vehicle planned for the plant will be announced at a later date.

In planning to secure Ford’s future manufacturing presence in the state, Ford worked closely with Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and the Missouri State Legislature in passage of the 2010 Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act. This legislation provides tax incentives for certified automotive manufacturers that commit to new investments and job retention in Missouri and suppliers who create new jobs in the state.

“Today’s announcement ensures that next-generation vehicles will be built right here in Missouri, by the best workforce in the country,” said Nixon. “Last year, we came together to pass the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act to help our state compete for the production jobs of the future. That hard work paid off. For thousands of employees at Ford’s Claycomo plant, and thousands more at suppliers across Missouri, this news is a big win. We’ll be building the vehicles of the future right here in the Show-Me State.”

Kansas City Assembly Plant opened in 1951 and has approximately 3,750 employees. It currently produces the best-selling Ford F-150 on one shift and the award-winning Ford Escape on three crews.

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Ford revealed the Vertrek concept at the 2011 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, previewing the company’s vision for a sleeker, sportier and more stylish compact SUV. Vertrek combines the best of Ford’s distinctive European kinetic design and driving quality with outstanding levels of cargo space, trailer-tow and off-road capability for North America, promising a vehicle that meets the needs of next-generation compact utility vehicle customers the world over.

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DETROIT (CNNMoney) — The plug-in Chevrolet Volt was named North American Car of the Year at the Detroit Auto Show on Monday.

The Ford Explorer was voted Truck of the Year in the awards handed out during the media preview days at the auto show.

The North American car and truck of the year awards are voted on by a jury of up to 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.

While General Motors acknowledges the Volt won’t add to the automakers profits for years, GM has utilized the car as a marketing tool. The Volt appeared in Chevrolet advertising for years before its November introduction.

Many industry analysts were worried that if the Volt turned out to be bad car — or even a mediocre car — GM’s image would be badly tarnished. Fortunately for GM, journalists and analysts have largely given the car a favorable greeting.

“Conceived as the General was failing, developed when the company was fighting for its very survival, the Volt is a remarkable achievement,” said Ken Gross, a writer for Playboy and a juror for the award, in a statement.

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Prior to this announcement, the Volt had previously won several other awards in the United States, including Motor Trend Car of the Year.

The Ford Explorer SUV in also an important comeback vehicle for Ford, in its own respect. The Explorer was once the top-selling passenger vehicle in the United States but its sales had fallen drastically as gas prices rose and customers turned to more efficient, smoother-riding car-based crossovers SUVs.

The new Explorer is a car-based crossover but one with some off-road capability. It’s based on the same engineering as the Ford Taurus sedan and the Ford Flex crossover.

“The 2011 Ford Explorer is nothing less than a revelation in dynamics, refinement, and efficiency,” said Alex Taylor, a write for Fortune magazine and one of the jurors for the award.

The finalists for the Car of the Year Award were the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Sonata. The finalists for the Truck of the Year were the Ford Explorer, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango.

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DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. said Friday that an electric version of its Ford Focus sedan will go on sale in North America by the end of this year.

Ford introduced the electric Focus at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The car is expected to go up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) on an electric charge.

The automaker says the Focus can be fully charged in three to four hours using a 240-volt outlet. That’s half the time it takes to charge the Nissan Leaf, a competitor that went on sale last month.

Ford also said its fuel efficiency numbers will be competitive with the Leaf. Late last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated the Leaf would get the equivalent of 106 miles per gallon in city driving and 92 mpg on the highway. The EPA determined the figures by estimating it will cost $561 per year in electricity to charge the car.

Related: Ford steers out all-electric Focus at CES

Ford said the Focus will have a unique, Microsoft-designed powering feature that will charge the vehicle during off-peak hours, when utility rates are cheapest, to save on electric bills. It also has a touchscreen with information such as the amount of charge left, the distance to the next charging station and the amount of gasoline saved.

Pricing wasn’t announced. The Leaf starts at $32,780, but it is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit that drops the price to $25,780.

The electric Focus will be Ford’s first electric car on the market. It began selling an electric version of the Transit Connect van last year. The Chevrolet Volt, an electric car with a small gas engine that takes over if the charge runs out, is the only other electric car on sale in the U.S. right now, but other competitors are planning to introduce electrics soon. In 2012, Toyota plans to begin selling an electric RAV4 crossover, Chrysler plans an electric Fiat 500 minicar and Honda will sell an electric version of the Fit subcompact.

Ford said it plans to introduce four other electric vehicles in North America and Europe over the next two years. The electric Focus will go on sale in Europe next year.

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