DETROIT - Toyota Motor Corp. sold more vehicles in the U.S. last month than Ford Motor Co., marking the second time ever that the No. 2 domestic automaker was beaten out by its Japanese rival.

Ford reported Friday that its U.S. auto sales dropped 9.7 percent in November compared with the same period a year ago. Toyota sold 196,695 vehicles in November, a 15.9 percent increase over November 2005, compared with Ford’s 181,111.

General Motors Corp.’s sales rose 6.1 percent, while DaimlerChrysler AG’s were up 4.7 percent.