First Brands to Sell Units That Produce Parts for Ford

First Brands Group has four potential buyers for its remaining auto-parts factories — including operations that supply Ford Motor Co. — under a proposal aimed at preserving thousands of jobs as the bankrupt company tries to avoid shutting down and liquidating what’s left.

Three of the four businesses the company hopes to sell in the coming weeks make parts for Ford, an attorney for the automaker, Mark E. Freedlander, said at a bankruptcy hearing Friday. The automaker, along with other carmakers, has kept some First Brands operations running by paying for parts in advance. That support includes not only cash for parts, but also funding for administrative expenses.