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DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford said Thursday that it will build more of its popular Focus and Escape models and boost total vehicle production later this year to help dealers restock depleted showrooms.

The automaker needs to keep up with demand for its Focus compact car and Escape crossover, both ranked as top sellers under the Cash for Clunkers program. The company also wants to roll out a reasonable number of cars and trucks following earlier production cuts. That way, dealers won’t run short on hot models in the final months of this year.

Ford Motor Co.’s overall North American vehicle production in the third quarter will be 2 percent higher than it forecast earlier, and 18 percent higher than a year ago. It also plans to boost fourth-quarter output of cars and trucks by 33 percent from a year earlier paydayloan.

Those increases, however, compare with slashed production levels from last year, primarily for pickup trucks and SUVs.

Funding for the Clunkers program is likely to run dry by September, the company said, but the additional vehicles produced in the quarter will go to replenish tight dealer stocks. Vehicles that roll off assembly lines as part of the production boost should reach showrooms by early September.

"That should give us some time to reload before 2010 begins," said George Pipas, Ford’s top sales analyst.

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