AUTOS

Ford to Drop Mark VIII, Add Mini Sport-Utility: The Deerborn, Mich.-based auto maker will pull the plug on another of its slow-selling car lines: the Lincoln Mark VIII. At the same time, it confirmed that it will beef up its light-truck lineup by offering a mini sport-utility vehicle that will be Ford Motor Co.’s first North American entry in that expanding segment. Lincoln-Mercury Division General Manager James O’Connor told reporters the Mark VIII coupe is expected to disappear from the Lincoln product lineup by 2003, a victim of a market shift away from expensive coupes. Meanwhile, Ford Chairman Alex Trotman confirmed wide-ranging speculation that the auto maker will offer a sport-utility vehicle that is smaller than its popular Explorer.