Ford Motors last night said it would offer zero-per cent financing on almost all of its vehicles and give buyers $1,000 toward gasoline purchases as part of its most aggressive sales incentive program of the year.
Ford said that as part of its discount programme, which begins today and runs through July, customers would be given either a prepaid debit card for $1,000 of gas purchases or an equivalent discount on the vehicle purchase price.
Ford's offer to subsidise gas purchases for car buyers upped the ante for larger rival General Motors, which offered a similar but more limited programme earlier this month in Florida and California.
Both promotions take aim at rising US consumer concern over high gasoline prices, a factor seen as affecting sales of the large sport-utility vehicles and trucks that are the most profitable models offered by both companies.
The sales incentives offered by the auto makers are closely tracked by analysts because the amount of the discounting is read as an indication of how urgently the manufacturers need to move unsold inventory.