Ford beats GM in the US

[FGII-XR6]

http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/For...-28559190.html

Ford knocked General Motors out of the top spot for US auto sales last month, a feat it had managed only once before since 1998, industry data showed Friday.
The upset came as the US auto industry continues to rebound strongly, with the overall sales rate rising for the sixth consecutive quarter.
March sales increased 16.9 percent from a year earlier to 2.5 million vehicles, according to Autodata.
Meanwhile, rising oil prices in the wake of unrest in the Middle East has contributed to a strong shift towards smaller cars, automakers said.
Firm demand for Ford's updated truck line and its class-leading fuel efficiency helped boost sales 19.2 percent in March from a year ago, to 212,777 vehicles.
That was 6,156 more vehicles than GM sold after posting a 9.6 percent gain.
"Consumers are voting with their wallets," said Ken Czubay, who heads Ford's sales and marketing.
GM has been the top seller in the US market on an annual basis since 1931, according to Automotive News Data Center.
But its crown has been under a determined assault in recent years.
Toyota ended GM's 77-year reign as the world's largest automaker in 2008.
Ford last outsold GM in February 2010, but by a margin of just 471 vehicles.
GM also lost the top spot in July 1998 when it was hobbled by a strike at supplier Delphi Corporation and was outsold by Ford by 83,883 vehicles, the trade publication said.
"I don't think it shows a definitive turn, but how competitive the market is," Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with IHS Global Insight, told AFP.
GM remains the industry leader for the quarter, with sales up 24.1 percent to 592,545 vehicles as its share rose 0.7 points to 19.4 percent.
Ford's sales for the first three months of the year are up 15.9 percent at 496,720 vehicles but its share was down 0.6 points at 16.2 percent.
Both GM and Ford have undergone several rounds of intense restructuring after Asian makers wrested away market share and consumers shifted away from their former cash cows -- the gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles which fueled their profits in the 1990s.
Ford managed to get its books in order ahead of the 2008 financial crash and was able to survive the worst economic downturn in decades without resorting to government help.
GM emerged from a government-backed bankruptcy in July 2009 as a stronger but significantly smaller company.
"Our approach to the first quarter was to gain momentum and we did just that," GM's Johnson said in a conference call prior to the release of Ford's results.
"We'll continue to be very positive about our outlook, that we do have the right products at the right time and we continue to believe our company will continue to grow."
Chrysler, which also came out of taxpayer-funded bankruptcy reorganization in 2009, posted a 31 percent increase in March sales to 92,623 vehicles.
It was Chrysler's best month since May 2008 and the 12th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases.
Toyota saw sales drop 5.7 percent from the heavily-incentivized March 2010 sales to 176,222 units.
While its quarterly sales were up 12.5 percent gain to 433,924 vehicles its share fell a full point to 14.2 percent in the first three months of the year.
"Our sales momentum continued in March and contributed to a strong first-quarter close," said Bob Carter, head of Toyota Motor Sales, USA.
"With improving purchase intentions and healthy inventory levels heading into April, we feel confident about our sales outlook."
Japanese rival Honda posted a 23.5 percent increase in sales to 133,650 vehicles in its sixth straight month of double-digit US sales growth. Its share for the quarter remained unchanged at 10.1 percent, according to Autodata.
Nissan's sales jumped 26.9 percent to 121,141 vehicles in March while its quarterly share rose 0.3 points to 9.3 percent.
Supply problems resulting from Japan's March 11 quake disaster did not appear to have made a significant impact on the US market even though Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford and GM have had to temporarily idle some US factories.
"Based on everything we see right now we don't see anything that's going to slow down the industry," GM's Johnson said.
"I don't see a big change in consumer demand unless something very dramatic comes out of Japan."

[jpd80]

Awful lot of pluses in Ford's march result, very hard for critics to fault.
Undeniably, Ford are climbing in sales and reputation - great result.
Crown Victoria is proving that it is still popular with police departments...

Fiesta 9,787
Focus 17,178 (19,500 -11.9%)
Fusion 27,566 (22,773 +21.0%)
Taurus 5,954 (7,001 -15.0%)
Mustang 8,557 (5,829 +46.8%)
Crown Victoria 6,176 (3,223 +91.6%)
Ford Cars 75,218 (58,326 29.0%)

Escape 23,975 (19,182 +25.0%)
Edge 12,388 (10,254 +20.8%)
Flex 2,468 (3,468 -28.8%)
Explorer 12,482 (5,907 +111.3%)
Expedition 3,641 (2,596 +40.3%)
Ford Utilities 54,954 (41,418 +32.7%)

F-Series 53,272 (42,514 +25.3%)
Ranger 5,833 (4,445 +31.2%)
Econoline/Club Wagon 11,827 (10,470 +13.0%)
Transit Connect 2,690 (1,836 +46.5%)
Low Cab Forward 0 (51 -100.0%)
Heavy Trucks 482 (307 +57.0%)

Ford Trucks 74,104 (59,623 +24.3%)

Ford Brand 204,276 (159,367 + 28.2%)

[XR Martin]

Wierd that they are willing to just give up 6k sales a month once they discontinue the Ranger over there.

[jpd80]

Not weird at all, Ranger is lucky to break 40,000 sales a year theses days,
most buyers have shifted from small Trucks onto other vehicles like SUVs.

[Sorted]

What an achievement

[Buntz]

Taurus sold 5954 units over the quarter. In a market of 300 million. And we sell more falcon's in a market of not quite 30 million.

And what do you think should be the basis of the next global large car?

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Buntz93ED

Taurus sold 5954 units over the quarter. In a market of 300 million. And we sell more falcon's in a market of not quite 30 million.

And what do you think should be the basis of the next global large car?

You're looking in the wrong direction, Fusion sold a record 27,000 and Lincoln MKZ sold over 3,000 units
that's 30,000 for the month in USA alone. On top of that lot, the Hermosillo plant supplies Canada
and Brazil but it's nominally rated at 305,000/year and Ford is going 10-20% over that figure.

People in USA are voting with their cheque books and buying Fusion way ahead of Taurus,
also huge jump in Explorer, over 13,000 last month and expected to climb...

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by jpd80

You're looking in the wrong direction, Fusion sold a record 27,000 and Lincoln MKZ sold over 3,000 units
that's 30,000 for the month in USA alone. On top of that lot, the Hermosillo plant supplies Canada
and Brazil but it's nominally rated at 305,000/year and Ford is going 10-20% over that figure.

People in USA are voting with their cheque books and buying Fusion way ahead of Taurus,
also huge jump in Explorer, over 13,000 last month and expected to climb...

That's because Taurus is an enormous crap box. It truly is. Any model but SHO shouldn't be considered because it's a cumbersome pig. And deceptively large. Journo's complain of it being cramped. Yet the car is big.

We shouldn't drag this debate in here, and derail the thread. But if Taurus is going EUCD... then here in Aus... we'd be contented with just the Mondeo.

[jpd80]

Without getting into politics the 2004 alternative to FG Falcon was to be an enlarged Fusion,
more like USA Mazda 6 with longer wheelbase, more leg room, AWD and V6 engine....

I would suspect the next internal vehicle proposal would be based on CD4 Fusion/Mondeo, not Taurus....

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Without getting into politics the 2004 alternative to FG Falcon was to be an enlarged Fusion,
more like USA Mazda 6 with longer wheelbase, more leg room, AWD and V6 engine....

I would suspect the next internal vehicle proposal would be based on CD4 Fusion/Mondeo, not Taurus....

Well we already have Mondeo.

But I seriously don't think this is the end of the line for Falcon. The platform is tops, and it's only 3 three years old.

[jpd80]

Who said Falcon was stopping immediately?
This product cycle has at least another 4 years to run....


The stunning success of Ford in the USA gives me hope that the brass may be willing
to work with FoA on a solution that keeps manufacturing here, that is my main hope,
the type of vehicle is a secondary consideration.

With Fusion and Mondeo combining in the near future, the scales of economy from that effort
will be huge and I also expect that Ford will make the internal dimensions slightly larger to make
Fusion/Mondeo Ford's primary large car around the globe, Falcon and Taurus are merely
regional cars and exist to fill a local need, if that need disappears, so to do those cars.

[fat289]

If the yanks are buying smaller trucks consider this , how popular would the Falcon ute be over there ??
IMO they would sell by the truck load !!!! ( pun intended )

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by fat289

If the yanks are buying smaller trucks consider this , how popular would the Falcon ute be over there ??
IMO they would sell by the truck load !!!! ( pun intended )

That's just it, American are NOT buying smaller trucks and since about 2005,
small trucks sales have nose dived as SUV and crossover sales have soared.
This is why Ford and GM have left, Toyota is down to 120K/year with Tacoma.

F Truck sold 58,000 units last month, Ranger around 5,000 so why would Ford care about light trucks....

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Who said Falcon was stopping immediately?
This product cycle has at least another 4 years to run....


The stunning success of Ford in the USA gives me hope that the brass may be willing
to work with FoA on a solution that keeps manufacturing here, that is my main hope,
the type of vehicle is a secondary consideration.

With Fusion and Mondeo combining in the near future, the scales of economy from that effort
will be huge and I also expect that Ford will make the internal dimensions slightly larger to make
Fusion/Mondeo Ford's primary large car around the globe, Falcon and Taurus are merely
regional cars and exist to fill a local need, if that need disappears, so to do those cars.

I think we'll all be presently surprised.

[Joe5619]

Is the new foucs out in the US yet? Focus sales are down?

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Is the new Focus out in the US yet? Focus sales are down?

It launched in February but I suspect that they are still volume constrained with regards the right product mix.
By comparison Fiesta and Fusion had a huge month so it's possible sales bled up and down...
Fusion is now only a whisker behind Camry which sold just over 31,000...

Great effort Ford.

[Paxton]

Taurus's biggest problem is that it is now too big. Don't forget folks that it is larger than a Fairlane, and based not on a car platform, but an SUV Platform, which is why it has an RTV ride height. Don't get me wrong, it isn't a bad car - we do it a disservice, but it is just the wrong car for the market. Even Taurus is on thin ice at the moment, and its saving grace may well be the Police Market.

Ford have done well, but the main question is about sustainability. They need to get Focus to fire, and then they should have a decent mix. Does anybody know when the European market's results will be out?

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Paxton

Ford have done well, but the main question is about sustainability. They need to get Focus to fire, and then they should have a decent mix. Does anybody know when the European market's results will be out?

New Focus launched over there in February but the fact is that they were
still supply constrained and until they have sufficient inventory levels, the
new Focus will be like the first couple of ordinary months for Fiesta.

IMO, low inventory levels gave Fiesta and Fusion an opportunity to shine
and boy, did they ever bring home the bacon for Ford...

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Buntz93ED

Taurus sold 5954 units over the quarter. In a market of 300 million. And we sell more falcon's in a market of not quite 30 million.

And what do you think should be the basis of the next global large car?

It wasn't over one quarter, it was one month.

FoA wouldn't have even sold that many Falcons for the whole quarter.

[phillyc]

Gm have had a very good gain this year. BUT, it has been very much driven by incentives.

Ford have mostly stayed away from that and still made excellent sales. Backed by a great range of class leaders. With ever higher 'gas' prices, their new range of vehicles is really kicking some goals. ie Fusion, Fiesta and Focus. Add in a more economical F series which is now selling as much as 35% in V6 models is a real indicator of the way they have read the market.

Alan Mullaly is a king!

PS I want to see quarterly profit as well as these sales figures

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by phillyc

PS I want to see quarterly profit as well as these sales figures

Quarterly results should be announced around mid month.

[aussie muscle]

A good result for Ford America

Originally Posted by Buntz93ED

Taurus sold 5954 units over the quarter. In a market of 300 million. And we sell more falcon's in a market of not quite 30 million.

And what do you think should be the basis of the next global large car?

They want to boost taurus numbers, so they dump it on us

[barra265t]

They've beaten GM, but have they also beaten Toyota?

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by barra265t

They've beaten GM, but have they also beaten Toyota?

Ask and you shall receive:

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported March sales results of 176,222 units, a decrease of 9.2 percent compared to the same period last year, on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis. On a raw volume basis, unadjusted for 27 selling days in March 2011 compared to 26 selling days in March 2010, TMS sales were down 5.7 from the year-ago month.
Highlights:

Camry and Camry hybrid 31,464
Corolla 30,234
Prius 18,605

RAV4 16,082
Highlander (Kluger) 9,828
4Runner 4,369
Tacoma (~Hilux) 10,144
Tundra 7,515 <------ Ha ha ha ha, the would be competitor to F150
Sienna 10,449


Scion 5,540

Lexus 10,503

Link to Toyota USA.....

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/01/b...oolin-edition/

COMPANIES
Chrysler Group 121,730
Nissan NA 121,141
American Honda 133,650
BMW Group 26,382
Ford Mo Co 212,777
Jaguar L/Rover 4,315
GM 206,621
Toyota Mo Co 176,222

Please note Toyota was the only company to sell less this year then last year.