PREMiERdrum Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 (edited) Ford Posts Best February U.S. Retail Sales in 11 Years; Best-Ever Month for SUV Sales, Lincoln Sales Up 30 percent U.S. sales of 217,192 Ford Motor Company vehicles up 20 percent versus last year Ford brand SUVs post best-ever February sales – Edge increases 91 percent, Explorer jumps 18 percent and Escape gains 14 percent Ford F-Series has best February performance since 2006, with sales up 10 percent; Transit sales up 70 percent – best February van performance since 1979 Lincoln total sales jump 30 percent – MKX sales increase 109 percent, providing Lincoln with its best February SUV performance in 15 years DOWNLOAD FEBRUARY SALES PDF WITH CHARTS DEARBORN, Mich., March 1, 2016 – Ford Motor Company’s U.S. sales were up 20 percent in February versus a year ago with 217,192 vehicles sold. Retail sales grew 11 percent – the company’s best February since 2005. Retail sales gains came across the product portfolio. Cars gained 6 percent, trucks increased 5 percent, and SUVs were up 22 percent. Ford SUV sales last month – the best February in company history – totaled 65,016 vehicles, up 28 percent versus a year ago. Edge jumped 91 percent, Explorer was up 18 percent and Escape gained 14 percent. F-Series sales were strong, too, with 60,697 vehicles sold – a 10-percent increase – marking Ford’s best February for F-Series in a decade. “We saw a solid industry last month and a strong month for Ford, as customer demand for our newest vehicles – including new high-end series on Explorer and Edge – helped Ford increase its average transaction prices at almost double the industry average,” said Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “Offering more high-end options for truck and SUV customers and having the capability fleet buyers value as they are reinvesting in their fleets are strengthening our business.” Transit sales increased 70 percent last month, with 11,496 vans sold – adding to Ford’s total van sales of 18,407 giving Ford its best February van performance since 1979. Lincoln sales of 8,039 vehicles increased 30 percent, with the all-new Lincoln MKX up 109 percent, helping support the brand’s record February sales. https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North%20America/US/2016/03/01/february-2016-sales.pdf Edited March 1, 2016 by PREMiERdrum 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 The only products from either brand seeing a decline were a negligible (0.4%) drop for CMax and an 11% decline for E-Series (offset by Transit growth). Focus rebounded back over 18,000 units. MKX humming along nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertlane Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 You're too quick to post the sales figures each month! :happy feet: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 You're too quick to post the sales figures each month! :happy feet: Having an AP wire alert ticker at the top of both screens helps.. #TVNewsLife 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aneekr Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Thanks for posting this, PREMiERdrum! Ford's North American Fleet, Lease and Remarketing Operations business unit really delivered the goods last month in the fleet market. I wouldn't be surprised if Ford surpasses General Motors in CY 2016 fleet registrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 (edited) MKX and Edge doing well, although not quite as dramatic as the growth would indicate since the YTD numbers were affected by the low inventory from the changeover last year. Since MKX went on hiatus for about 6 months, we should see healthy growth numbers from that car for most of the year which should add significantly to the Lincoln numbers by year's end. The Loss of MKS and the slow ramp up of '17 MKZ and Continental won't be a huge issue this year so it should be a solid year for Lincoln. This could be the year attitudes change. Edited March 1, 2016 by BORG 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 MKX and Edge doing well, although not quite as dramatic as the growth would indicate since the YTD numbers were affected by the low inventory from the changeover last year. Since MKX went on hiatus for about 6 months, we should see healthy growth numbers from that car for most of the year which should add significantly to the Lincoln numbers by year's end. The Loss of MKS and the slow ramp up of '17 MKZ and Continental won't be a huge issue this year so it should be a solid year for Lincoln. This could be the year attitudes change about the brand's success. It's nice to see you around here, BORG. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papilgee4evaeva Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Everything was up month-over-month too (save for MKT, TC, and Heavy Trucks). Cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnm Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Flex sales up 77%, and not even a mention in the press release. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 Flex sales up 77%, and not even a mention in the press release. That ship has sailed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 (edited) Growth percentage matters little when sales numbers are low (re: Ford Flex). Lincoln really needs to yank the plug on MKT soon, less than 300 units a month in the only market it's sold is a tremendous waste of time, especially when the MKT is Lincoln's fleet car of choice so the retail numbers on those are even smaller. Ford should pull the plug on both MKT and Flex before they start exporting Edge from Oakville to Europe at the end of the year. Edited March 1, 2016 by BORG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papilgee4evaeva Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Growth percentage matters little when sales numbers are low (re: Ford Flex). Lincoln really needs to yank the plug on MKT soon, less than 300 units a month in the only market it's sold is a tremendous waste of time, especially when the MKT is Lincoln's fleet car of choice so the retail numbers on those are even smaller. Ford should pull the plug on both MKT and Flex before they start exporting Edge from Oakville to Europe at the end of the year. I believe Ford has a determined EOL on those models. They just haven't told us yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 I believe Ford has a determined EOL on those models. They just haven't told us yet. This. No sense in killing them until they need the space at Oakville. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 That's my thinking, they will need space at Oakville for European production. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Since MKX went on hiatus for about 6 months Are you implying that MKX production stopped for 6 months? I don't think that happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Thanks for posting this, PREMiERdrum! Ford's North American Fleet, Lease and Remarketing Operations business unit really delivered the goods last month in the fleet market. I wouldn't be surprised if Ford surpasses General Motors in CY 2016 fleet registrations. Certainly possible since GM no longer competes in Class 2 vans and Transit is really the only game in town. If Ford surpass GM in fleet registration, it will be done with vans and more vans. Although GM could come back to the rental fleet later this year when Cruze Limited and Malibu Limited supplies are normalized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossman351 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Ford came within 10k units of Gm this month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 A GMI user innocently asked how long until Lincoln outsells Cadillac in a single month. His interpretation of the current trajectories? July of 2017. I'm waiting for the typical GMI... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 (edited) Are you implying that MKX production stopped for 6 months? I don't think that happened. Haha, unfortunately I know this schedule all too well because I ordered one and had to wait almost a full year for delivery. Production ceased in December 2014 and resumed in Late May 2015 (I believe this actually slipped into June, originally it was suppose to be May 20th). Customers stopped receiving MKX orders even longer, ending in August 2014 and with BTO deliveries not resuming again until July 2015...although many people (like myself) didn't get their cars until October even if they were the first to order. It was a very troubled and frustrating launch. Lincoln really does need a good 12 months to fully launch a product, Ford Edge by comparison was turned around in 2 months. Lincoln has to put their cars on extended production hiatus when they are sharing a Ford plant. They got around this with MKX by batch producing healthy inventories of 2015 MKXs before they shut the plant down for the Edge changeover so they had some inventory to coast on. So essentially, from January through July, all of the MKXs sold were produced before 2015. This isn't necessary with MCEs, just all-new models. They should be able to limit this disruption with some nameplates, such as the MKC which is moving away from the Escape and Continental which is not dependent on Ford's schedule, but I imagine Navigator will see this disruption as well unless they share more with the Ford than other recent Lincolns. Lincoln's production relationship with Ford is affordable but very dysfunctional and I hope this gets better. Ford's manufacturing facilities are also on the cheap high volume side of the spectrum instead of the high-tech quality priority you typically see in the luxury segments which has made it harder to get Lincoln up to their own specs at launch, every Lincoln launch has had to struggle with this. Lincoln eventually needs its own facilities or production lines, although I imagine they want to push this as far as they can. Edited March 1, 2016 by BORG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aneekr Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 According to Automotive News, sales of Ford vehicles to rental fleet customers nearly doubled in February 2016 compared to February 2015. Moreover, Ford outsold General Motors by more than a factor of two in this fleet segment! It's been a while since that last occurred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKII Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I believe Ford has a determined EOL on those models. They just haven't told us yet. I read that the Ford Flex (D471) and Lincoln MKT (D472) EOPs have been moved out three years from December 2015 to December 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 (edited) Good to see the Transit selling like hotcakes. This after all the predictions of doom, since Ford was dropping the "He-Man" Econolines. They claimed "Nobody will buy unibody work vans!" Not to mention all the claims that the new F-150 with Al would "ruin Ford forever"! But also, good to not have to hear the hand wringers saying "sales are down 0.1%, Ford needs to bring back {insert old outdated product}!!" Edited March 1, 2016 by 630land 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I read that the Ford Flex (D471) and Lincoln MKT (D472) EOPs have been moved out three years from December 2015 to December 2018 That would approximately coincide with the start of production of the 2019 Explorer on CD6, and the elimination of the D4 platform. Isn't the rumor that the next gen Explorer will be a '19 model? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 (edited) It wold make sense to keep Taurus around that long because it's in that plant and could exit retail for PI duty only, harder to imagine how the aging Flex and MKT can continue for 3 more years with no investment and continuously declining sales. FWIW, MKT has been pulled entirely from Lincoln's exhibits at the AutoShows. Edited March 1, 2016 by BORG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Lots of Taurus PI's patrolling IL Interstates. But, Explorer PI's seem to rule the city streets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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