Ford to regain No. 2 sales ranking

Ford Motor Co. is on track to recover its No. 2 sales ranking in the United States, supplanting Toyota Motor Corp. after achieving its biggest one-year gain in market share since the 1980s.

Ford has increased its U.S. auto sales at nearly double the market's growth rate, boosting its share to 16.4 percent, from 15.3 percent last year and 14.2 percent in 2008, said George Pipas, the company's market analyst.

"The last time Ford gained one or more points of market share was in the '80s," Pipas said.

In addition, "it's the first time since 1993 that we have gained share in the U.S. back-to-back two years in a row," he said.

In the first 11 months of this year, the Dearborn automaker's sales have risen 21 percent in a market that has expanded 11 percent.