Jacques Nasser is expected to be ousted from his position as chief executive of the Ford Motor Company.

While there has been no official word from the company, a number of media sources around the world are reporting that it is expected to announce today that William Clay Ford will take on the dual responsibilities of chairman and chief executive. There have been rumours of a rift between Mr Nasser and Ford, fuelled by the decision in July to create a power-sharing arrangement between the two men.

Mr Nasser's problems have been compounded by falling Ford sales and profitability, plus the ongoing dispute with Firestone about tyre safety. Earlier this month Ford announced a third-quarter loss of $692m.