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EX-99 - EXHIBIT - FORD MOTOR COexhibit99tosales8-kdated02.htm





UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20549




FORM 8-K


CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


Date of Report: February 29, 2012
(Date of earliest event reported)


FORD MOTOR COMPANY
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)



1-3950
38-0549190
(Commission File Number)
(IRS Employer Identification No.)
 
 
One American Road, Dearborn, Michigan
48126
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)



Registrant's telephone number, including area code 313-322-3000


Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:


[ ]    Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[ ]    Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[ ]    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act
(17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[ ]    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act
(17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))








Item 8.01. Other Events.

Our news release dated March 1, 2012 concerning U.S. retail sales in February 2012 is filed as Exhibit 99 to this Report and incorporated by reference herein.

In an interview with various media outlets that took place on February 29, 2012, Lewis Booth, our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, provided an update regarding our European operations. The following summarizes information provided by Mr. Booth with regard to our European operations:

It now is clear that the European automotive industry remains under pressure, with industry sales volume for the 19 markets we track coming in at or somewhat below 14 million units in the first two months of the year. We now expect full-year industry sales volume for 2012 for the 19 markets we track in Europe to be about 14 million units, compared with our initial planning assumption of 14 million to 15 million units. Accordingly, we expect first quarter 2012 results for Ford Europe to be about the same as or somewhat worse than fourth quarter 2011. We expect Ford Europe's pre-tax results to improve from that level during the year, largely reflecting the impact of our new product introductions and our continuing work on our cost base, with full-year results for Ford Europe limited to a loss of about $500 million to $600 million.

Our total Company guidance for 2012 remains unchanged - we expect Automotive pre-tax profits to improve, with total Company pre-tax profits to be about equal to full-year 2011 results.



Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.


EXHIBITS

Designation
Description
Method of Filing
 
 
 
Exhibit 99
News release dated March 1, 2012
Filed with this Report
 
concerning February 2012 U.S. retail sales
 








Risk Factors

Statements included or incorporated by reference herein may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, forecasts, and assumptions by our management and involve a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated, including, without limitation:

Decline in industry sales volume, particularly in the United States or Europe, due to financial crisis, recession, geopolitical events, or other factors; 
Decline in market share or failure to achieve growth;
Lower-than-anticipated market acceptance of new or existing products;
Market shift away from sales of larger, more profitable vehicles beyond our current planning assumption, particularly in the United States;
An increase in fuel prices, continued volatility of fuel prices, or reduced availability of fuel;
Continued or increased price competition resulting from industry excess capacity, currency fluctuations, or other factors;
Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices, and interest rates;
Adverse effects on our operations resulting from economic, geopolitical, or other events;
Economic distress of suppliers that may require us to provide substantial financial support or take other measures to ensure supplies of components or materials and could increase our costs, affect our liquidity, or cause production constraints or disruptions;
Work stoppages at Ford or supplier facilities or other limitations on production (whether as a result of labor disputes, natural or man-made disasters, tight credit markets or other financial distress, information technology issues, production constraints or difficulties, or other factors);
Single-source supply of components or materials;
Labor or other constraints on our ability to maintain competitive cost structure;
Substantial pension and postretirement health care and life insurance liabilities impairing our liquidity or financial condition;
Worse-than-assumed economic and demographic experience for our postretirement benefit plans (e.g., discount rates or investment returns);
Restriction on use of tax attributes from tax law "ownership change;"  
The discovery of defects in vehicles resulting in delays in new model launches, recall campaigns, reputational damage, or increased warranty costs;
Increased safety, emissions, fuel economy, or other regulations resulting in higher costs, cash expenditures, and/or sales restrictions;
Unusual or significant litigation, governmental investigations or adverse publicity arising out of alleged defects in our products, perceived environmental impacts, or otherwise;
A change in our requirements where we have long-term supply arrangements committing us to purchase minimum or fixed quantities of certain parts, or to pay a minimum amount to the seller ("take-or-pay" contracts);
Adverse effects on our results from a decrease in or cessation or clawback of government incentives related to investments;
Inherent limitations of internal controls impacting financial statements and safeguarding of assets;
Cybersecurity risks to operational systems, security systems, or infrastructure owned by us or a third-party vendor, or at a supplier facility;  
Failure of financial institutions to fulfill commitments under committed credit facilities;
Inability of Ford Credit to access debt, securitization, or derivative markets around the world at competitive rates or in sufficient amounts, due to credit rating downgrades, market volatility, market disruption, regulatory requirements, or other factors;
Higher-than-expected credit losses, lower-than-anticipated residual values or higher-than-expected return volumes for leased vehicles;
Increased competition from banks or other financial institutions seeking to increase their share of financing Ford vehicles; and
New or increased credit, consumer, or data protection or other regulations resulting in higher costs and/or additional financing restrictions.

We cannot be certain that any expectation, forecast, or assumption made in preparing forward-looking statements will prove accurate, or that any projection will be realized. It is to be expected that there may be differences between projected and actual results. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of initial issuance, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For additional discussion, see "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.








SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 
 
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
 
 
(Registrant)
 
 
 
Date: March 1, 2012
By:
/s/ Louis J. Ghilardi
 
 
Louis J. Ghilardi
 
 
Assistant Secretary








EXHIBIT INDEX



Designation
Description
 
 
Exhibit 99
News release dated March 1, 2012 concerning
 
February 2012 U.S. retail sales