FORD GAINS MARKET SHARE IN EUROPE

[range]

FORD GAINS MARKET SHARE IN EUROPE

 

 

- Ford leads the industry across Europe's main 19 markets with 9.9 percent market share

 

- March sales across these 19 markets was 187,400

 

- Including Turkey, market share was 10 percent and sales were 195,100

 

- Across all Ford’s 51 European markets, sales broke the 500,000 barrier during the first quarter of 2008

 

- Ford took first quarter sales leadership in the UK and Spain

 

- Record Ford commercial vehicle sales in the quarter.

 

COLOGNE, April 15, 2008 – Ford of Europe strengthened its leadership position in March across Europe’s 19 main markets, increasing its market share to 9.9 percent despite soft overall industry sales.

 

Ford sold 187,400 vehicles in the 19 markets last month. When strong sales in Russia, Turkey and the 30 Ford European Direct Markets are added, total sales for the month were 221,100.

 

Ford sales across all its 51 markets grew by 7,500 during the first quarter of the year to reach 501,500 vehicles.

Market Highlights

The company's top-performing market in March was the UK, where the March registration plate change boosted sales to 83,460 (+1,840), the highest Ford total there since the country's bi-annual plate change system was introduced in 1999.

 

Elsewhere, Ford was the leading imported brand in France in March, with sales up 13 percent to 14,500. In Spain, Ford was market leader in the first quarter with a 10.3 percent market share, up 0.8 percent versus prior year. In the Netherlands, Ford took market leadership in March with an 8.8 percent market share, up 0.5 percent versus 2007.

 

Turkey and Russia also continued to grow, Turkey by 11 percent to 7,700 units and Russia by 7.5 percent to 17,800 units -- a record March for Russia.

 

Best-Selling Vehicle Models in March

The Fiesta was Ford of Europe’s top-selling model in March (46,800) across the 19 European markets followed by the Focus (44,600). Mondeo sales soared to 18,700.

 

And it was not only Ford cars that were in demand. March commercial vehicle sales increased across these same 19 territories to 34,700. The Transit led the sales charge, selling over 23,100 units.

 

First Quarter Sales and Market Share

 

- Commercial vehicle sales reached an all-time record across the Euro 19 markets during the quarter (77,400), with Transit sales alone accounting for 51,000 of that total.

 

- Ford of Europe first quarter market share across the main Euro 19 markets was 8.9 percent.

 

The best-performing Ford market during the first quarter was the UK with sales of 131,340. Among other successes France boosted its sales by over 4,300, to 38,670.

 

“Despite last month's slowdown in the European market, we finished the first quarter with higher year-over-year sales. With our range of high quality new models continuing to resonate with both the media and the public, we are in a strong position to build on that positive start to the year,” said Ingvar Sviggum, vice president, marketing, sales and service, Ford of Europe.

 

“With more than 20 new or improved models, including the Kuga and, of course, the new Fiesta, arriving in showrooms this year, we are confident of maintaining our sales momentum in the months

 

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[Edstock]

Considering how Ford EU was in a sad state a decade ago, it's great to see that recovery.

[Joe771476]

So if Ford left the North American market, profits would be huge, right?

[Ford Jellymoulds]

Fords car sales were down a little bit, Toyota had a huge drop off in car sales in Europe last month so did most of the other car makers they were all down.

http://www.jato.com/Documents/PRESS%20RELE...015.04.2008.pdf

[jpd80]

So if Ford left the North American market, profits would be huge, right?

Give it time, the same could have been said about Ford Europe 10 years ago.

Europe and Asia are on an upswing, the US is in the doldrums but we can all see that Ford NA is makinghuge strices in right sizing the

company for sales. A huge change for Ford by not adopting the traditional Detroit based strategy of increasing volume and incentives in the hope of trading out of debt. Market This is the same strategy used to reform Europe and South America with great success.

[NickF1011]

So if Ford left the North American market, profits would be huge, right?

Could be argued that way. Then again, the profit POTENTIAL in NA is huge. Revenues in NA are far larger than they are in Europe, so with a little patience, NA could (and likely will) end up contributing more to profits than any other region for Ford - at least over the next 10-15 years.