Ford to Trim First-Quarter Production

Ford Motor Co. says it will eliminate 14,000 vehicles from its 2014 first-quarter production plan in North America to help align dealer inventories with demand.

The cut to 770,000 units will be Ford's first year-on-year quarterly reduction in five years. The company has not publicly revealed which models will be affected.

Ford says its day's supply is now a 91 compared with 73 a year ago. The industry considers a 60-day supply normal. The company's passenger vehicle sales in the U.S. rose 7% in November, compared with 9% for the industry overall.

Last week Ford announced it will trim output of its Focus small sedan and Fusion midsize sedan this month because inventories of those popular models are too big.

The Detroit News notes that General Motors and Chrysler also report dealer inventories above 90 days. But neither company has indicated it plans any significant adjustment.