Major help from the cash for clunkers program has Ford improving their sales outlook from the current 10.5 million units, to 11 million, of which 200,000 are light duty trucks.

“We’re seeing a recovery, sales should be picking up, we’ll see some modest tailwinds as we get through this second part of the year,” Hughes-Cromwick said. “We’ve hit the bottom and the economy has stabilized and poised for some modest improvement.”

Ford realizes that sales will indeed drop off after the CFC’s 3 billion in funding is exhausted (reportedly 50% remains), but not to the depression-era-like levels recently seen in 2008.

Today GM added an additional 60,000 units to their outlook as well, on the same basis that car sales are indeed turning around for the better.

Ford stock rose 27 cents, or 3.7% today just after 4pm on the NYSE.

• GM poised to retake #1 spot from Toyota
• Cash for Clunkers to pull the US from recession
• July 2009 auto sales: Ford posts first sales gain in 19 months