Ford

ORLANDO, FL General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. are on the ropes, but the overall U.S. economy is strong, auto sales remain vibrant, and it is a great time to be a consumer. So say two economists, Paul Taylor and Michael Mandel, at conferences in conjunction with the 2006 National Automobile Dealers Assn. convention here. So much of the drama in the last months is that manufacturers are facing

bySteve Finlay