DEARBORN, Mich. -- Ford will increase its production significantly in the fourth quarter to meet the higher demand from the government's "cash-for-clunkers" program, according to The New York Times.

Ford said Thursday that it would add shifts and increase overtime at plants in Missouri and Michigan to raise supplies of the Escape sport utility vehicle and the Focus compact car.

Ford will build 570,000 vehicles in the last three months, a 33-percent increase over the period a year ago, and 15 percent more than it had planned before the clunkers program started late last month.

The move is the latest indication of the popularity of the cash-for-clunkers program, which gives consumers up to $4,500 to trade in older gas-guzzlers for more fuel-efficient models.