[Ford's July U.S. sales drop over 10% as aluminum shortage constrains F-Series truck output]
Ford sold 169,951 vehicles in the U.S. in July, down more than 10% year-on-year, with the decline driven by tight F-Series pickup availability tied to an aluminium supply disruption, the discontinuation of the Escape crossover, and a planned pullback in low-margin rental fleet sales; the shortage traces back to fires that halted production at supplier Novelis Inc.'s hot mill last autumn, though the facility resumed operations in June, F-Series inventory remained thin at around 45 days' supply by end of July, and F-Series sales themselves fell 6.5% even as Ford said underlying retail demand for trucks and SUVs stayed resilient, with rental fleet deliveries cut 96% to prioritize retail allocation.