Most Americans think the Ford Motor Company, the one Big Three automaker who won’t be run by the federal government, has the best chance of staying in business, but they also suspect the government won’t make it easy.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of Americans say Ford is the Big Three auto company which has the best chance of surviving and becoming profitable again, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Just 17% give General Motors the edge, and only five percent (5%) say Chrysler is the company most likely to survive and profit.

Investors are even more bullish on Ford. Sixty-nine percent (69%) say that company has the best chance of returning to profitability.

Seventy-one percent (71%) of Republicans, 54% of Democrats and 64% of adults not affiliated with either party agree.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of all Americans say they are more likely to buy a car from Ford because it did not take bailout funding from the government. Twelve percent (12%) say they are less likely to do so, and 33% say the bailouts will have no impact on their car-buying decisions.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of Republicans and 60% of unaffiliateds are more likely to buy a Ford, compared to 37% of Democrats. Sixty-one percent (61%) of those who work for a private company share that view versus 44% of government workers.

While Chrysler is already going through a government-supervised bankruptcy to stay in business and GM is likely to follow by Monday, just 25% of Americans say they would buy a car from a bankrupt automaker.

But 58% of Americans say it is at least somewhat likely that the government as the majority owner of GM and Chrysler will pass laws and regulations giving those companies an unfair advantage over Ford. Thirty-four percent (34%) say it is Very Likely. These numbers are unchanged from a month ago, although the GM bankruptcy now seems even more likely.

Twenty-three percent (23%) say it’s not very likely that the government will give an unfair advantage to GM and Chrysler, and six percent (6%) say it’s not at all likely to happen.

Seventy percent (70%) of Republicans say the government is likely to give GM and Chrysler an edge over Ford. Democrats and unaffiliateds are less skeptical, but majorities of both groups suspect that the government is likely to handicap Ford.

Fifty-five percent (55%) of investors believe the government is at least somewhat likely to help GM and Chrysler to have an unfair advantage over their rival.

Only 18% of Americans think the United Auto Workers union and the federal government will do a good job running Chrysler and General Motors.

Voters have consistently for months opposed taxpayer-backed bailouts for the troubled auto companies, although the Political Class has strongly disagreed. That’s because most voters say GM or Chrysler is at least somewhat likely to go out of business over the next few years anyway.

Voters overwhelmingly now believe that the economy can recover even if GM goes out of business.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free)… let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs are available to Premium Members only.