Q1 earnings show Ford may avoid federal bailout

Better-than-expected earnings from Ford raised hopes Friday that the automaker's restructuring and new products may be enough to spare it from a federal bailout, while General Motors received more government help and Chrysler raced to avoid bankruptcy.

Ford still lost $1.4 billion from January through March, but that was less than expected, and executives said the outlook for future sales was good enough to increase production of its most popular vehicles.

Ford Motor Co. has taken steps over the last few years to avoid government intervention: cutting costs, focusing on its core brands, and introducing new vehicles and advanced features.

"Ford is building the best stuff it's ever made in terms of quality rankings and critical reviews," said Aaron Bragman, an auto analyst at IHS Global Insight. "The vehicles are sufficiently improved and people are starting to realize that."

While Ford tries to go it alone, federal officials are questioning every penny spent by General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, which are both subsisting on government loans.

On Friday, the Treasury Department said it loaned $2 billion to GM, bringing the automaker's total to $15.4 billion. Chrysler has borrowed $4 billion and could get $500 million more so it can keep running while it restructures.

But Ford, under the leadership of former Boeing Corp. CEO Alan Mulally, mortgaged all of the automaker's assets — including the trademark blue logo — a few years ago, when loans were easier to get from the private sector.

As of March 31, Ford had $21.3 billion in cash to help it survive the worst market for U.S. auto sales in 27 years.

The company said Friday it had spent just $3.7 billion of its cash during the first three months of this year, far less than the $7.2 billion it burned in the fourth quarter of 2008. Investors sent Ford's shares up 11 percent.

"I think the important comparison for us is 'Are we improving versus the fourth quarter?'" said Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth. "Because the fourth quarter, things were really dreadful.

He said cost cuts and better pricing for its vehicles helped the company narrow its losses from $5.9 billion in the fourth quarter, and he expects continued improvement for the remainder of the year.

Ford said it was able to charge more for its vehicles, which are now coming loaded with features such as electronic blind-spot detection and technology that links drivers' cell phones and MP3 players to a voice-activated command center.

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