Ford says it will speed up the launch of new models in U.S.

Ford Motor Co., the world’s third-largest automaker, will accelerate introduction of new vehicles in the U.S. this year through mid-2009 as the company tries to stabilize sales, the company’s sales chief said Tuesday.

“From the summer of 2008 through the summer of 2009, Ford will be doing something it hasn’t done a lot of lately and that’s launching new products,” Group Vice President Jim Farley said at an analyst presentation in New York.

“We will be launching a new vehicle every month or two,” he said.

Over the last two years, Ford has introduced a new model about every six months, he said.

Ford, based in Dearborn, Mich., recruited Farley last year from Toyota Motor Corp., where he headed the Lexus brand in the United States. Chief Executive Alan Mulally put Farley in charge of both worldwide and U.S. sales.

The company hasn’t posted a market-share gain in the U.S. since 1995. Ford’s total vehicle sales fell 5.7% in the first two months this year.