10-03-06: Ford may finally be seeing a stabilization in their unprecedented decline over the past couple years in both sales and market share. In September of 2006, Ford Corporate dealers sold 238,848 cars, trucks and SUV’s , up 4.7 percent compared with a year ago. This is in contrast for once with GM and Chrysler who both saw declines for September.
The news gets even better if you look just at Ford branded vehicles. Ford’s Blue Oval cars and trucks increased 7.4 percent over September of 2005. Their car lines are where the real improvements were seen with over a 40% sales increase. These models include the Ford Fusion, Taurus, Focus, 500 and Mustang. Truck sales were down 5 percent, but full-size pickup trucks and SUVs showed signs of stabilizing as the Ford F-Series, Explorer, and Expedition all posted higher sales compared with a year ago.
"We're pleased by the continued strong demand for our cars and the solid performance posted by the F-Series truck and Explorer and Expedition SUVs," said Al Giombetti, president, Ford and Lincoln Mercury sales and marketing. "The all-new Expedition and Navigator are on their way to dealers and production of the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossover utilities starts soon."
The Fusion, Milan, and MKZ had a strong month in September despite limited availability resulting from the 2007 model changeover and a record sales month in August. Combined sales for the company's new mid-size sedans totaled 16,208. The 2007 models feature standard side air bags and available all-wheel drive. The Lincoln MKZ is equipped with a new 3.5 liter V-6 engine.
Mustang posted its highest September sales in two decades as sales climbed 31 percent. Total sales of 14,341 included nearly 800 Shelby GT 500s.
Although truck sales were down 5 percent for the month, the company's full-size trucks and SUVs reversed recent sales trends. Ford's F-Series, America's best-selling truck, was up 2 percent and posted its third highest sales month of the year (70,822). The next generation Super Duty F-Series was unveiled at the State Fair of Texas on September 27 and will be in production early next year.
Ford's Explorer and Expedition also posted higher sales in September. Explorer sales were up 22 percent and Expedition sales rose 8 percent. Mercury's Mountaineer and Mariner also were higher than a year ago.
While it is easy to say that the 0% financing for 72 months program Ford ran in early September is a major factor in their better performance, Ford officials reported that the entire month saw strong traffic at dealerships.
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