Ford sees June sales drop of less than 20 percent

Ford Motor Co expects its U.S. sales for June will decline by less than 20 percent, giving it a higher share of the largest auto market amid early signs that demand has begun to stabilize, an executive said on Monday.

George Pipas, Ford's chief sales analyst, speaking to reporters at Ford's headquarters, said economic indicators suggested that the worst could be past for both the U.S. economy and auto sales.

U.S. auto sales plunged to their lowest level since the early 1980s in monthly results for late 2008 and early this year. Ford, the only U.S. automaker to have avoided bankruptcy, has forecast a second-half recovery in demand.