Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian sold almost $18 million of Ford shares at a deep lossand could liquidate his remaining 6 percent stake in the struggling automaker, after a six-month run where he became Ford's largest outside investor.



Tracinda Corp, Kerkorian's investment company, said onTuesday it would reduce its stake in Ford Motor Co and was working with an investment bank on the potential sale of all133.5 million Ford shares it still holds.



Tracinda's investment in Ford had been seen as a vote ofconfidence in the No. 2 automaker and its turn around strategy,and Ford shares tumbled nearly 8 percent on the news.



Ford said it remained committed to its restructuring planunder Chief Executive Alan Mulally, who has pushed the company toward a unified operating structure and rushed to roll out new fuel-efficient small cars.



'We remain confident in and focused on our plan to transformFord into a lean global enterprise delivering profitable growthfor all,' Ford said in a statement.



Analysts noted that the market for auto sales in the UnitedStates and Europe had deteriorated sharply since April whenTracinda began to build a position in Ford.