FORD EUROPEAN SALES GAINS CONTINUE WITH BEST JULY AND YEAR-TO-DATE MARKET SHARE IN 10 YEARS

 
  • Ford’s share in main European 19 markets increased for seventh consecutive month
  • Despite declining industry, Ford's 2009 new vehicle sales volume increased versus 2008 for the second month in a row
  • New Fiesta remained Ford’s best-selling European car in July, achieving its best month since 1996, and leading its segment in Germany

COLOGNE, Germany, Aug. 12, 2009 – Ford, the No. 2 best-selling new vehicle brand in Europe, increased its market share for the seventh consecutive time last month, resulting in the company’s best July and year-to-date market share performance since 1999.

Ford of Europe had 9 percent market share in its main 19 European markets, up 0.6 percentage points from July 2008.  Ford’s share for the first seven months of 2009 was 9.1 percent, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the same period a year ago.

In total, Ford sold 125,200 new vehicles in its main 19 European markets in July, up 5 percent, making it the second month in a row this year that Ford has posted a sales increase from the prior year period.  Ford’s 5 percent volume increase contrasts to a 1.5 percent industry decline in the same month. 

“As we are moving into the second half of the year, we are encouraged to see Ford at a 10-year high market share for July and, as a result of this, firmly established as Europe's second best-selling new vehicle brand in Europe,” said Ingvar Sviggum, Ford of Europe’s vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service.

The sales success was driven by strong customer demand for the latest Ford products across the line-up, including the Fiesta, new Ka, and best-selling Focus.  The company’s product portfolio allowed it to improve market share in 13 of its main 19 European markets.  The improving European results follows news of positive sales performance in other key Ford markets around the world in July, including China, the U.S. and Canada. 

In the first seven months of 2009, Ford of Europe registered 871,400 vehicles in its 19 main markets, down 7.3 percent over the same period in 2008.  This compares with a total industry decline of 12.2 percent in that period. 

“We're also pleased to have increased sales volume for the second consecutive month, while the industry is still declining,” said Sviggum.  “The industry figures show, however, that despite the positive impact of various national vehicle scrappage schemes, the overall trend is still negative and the underlying market weak.”

Sviggum added: “We strongly believe that these incentive schemes should continue for as long as practically possible, and then be phased out in an orderly manner to avoid any dramatic reduction in market demand that could damage the still fragile improvement we have seen in recent months.”

July Market and Model Sales Highlights:
Markets:

  • Ford was market leader in the U.K., Ireland and Hungary; in Hungary, share was at 17.8, up by 7.8 ppts. on the same period 2008, the highest share since 1994.
  • Ford’s sales volume in Germany increased by 45 percent (while industry grew 24 percent) in July, and the company had its highest monthly share there since June 2004.
  • Similarly, Ford Austria’s July sales were up by 45 percent, to a record high for the month of July since 1994.
  • Ford continues to be the leading imported brand in Italy, with volume up by 35 percent, despite the Italian industry being up by only 3 percent in July.
  • Sixty-one percent of Ford passenger cars sold went to retail customers in the Euro 19 markets, up from 47 percent in July 2008.
  • Ford was among the three best-selling brands in 13 of 19 European markets.

Models:

  • Ford of Europe’s three top-selling vehicles (19 main markets) were the Fiesta (39,900), the Focus (28,700), and new Ka (10,500).
  • In Germany, the Fiesta became segment leader in July, the first time since the vehicle’s market entry there in October 2008.
  • In the U.K., where Fiesta sales were up by over 26 percent vs. the same month 2008, Fiesta remained the industry’s best-selling vehicle.
  • In June, Fiesta was both Europe's second best-selling car and the leader in the small car segment.
  • In July, 39,900 Fiestas were delivered to customers in Europe -- 14,500 units more than the previous Fiesta model sold in July 2008.
  • New Ford Ka continues to be a success in the market despite the economic downturn.  Ford sold 10,500 units in July (up 7,500 on July last year).
  • Ford Focus remained No. 2 best-selling vehicle across the industry in the U.K., behind the Fiesta.
  • The Ford C-MAX was the best-selling foreign vehicle in its segment in France.
  • Transit had its best July performance since 2003 (Euro 19 markets).

July Year-To-Date Market and Model Highlights
Markets:

  • Market leader in the U.K., Ireland and Hungary.
  • Italy (share up by 2.0 ppts. to 9.7 percent) and the UK (up by 1.5 ppts. to 17.9 percent share) had the highest share gains in the five largest markets in the first seven months of 2009.
  • Year-to-date sales volume increased by 37 percent in Germany (vs. an increase of 21.3 percent for the industry).
  • Ford was among the three best-selling brands in 12 of its Euro19 markets.

Models:

  • The three best-selling vehicles in the first seven months of 2009 were the newFiesta (277,700), Focus (183,600) and Transit (70,300).
  • In the first seven months of 2009, Fiesta sales were up 75,000 over the sameperiod in 2008.  Approximately 340,000 Fiestas have been sold since the car was launched last autumn.  Seventy-four percent of all Fiestas sold year-to-date were to retail customers (Euro19 markets).
  • 62,300 Ford Ka vehicles were delivered to Ford customers this year. Eighty percent of all Ka sales (Euro 19 markets) year-to-date were to retail customers.
  • The Ford C-MAX was leading its segment in Italy, as was the Focus Wagon.
  • Ford S-MAX, Focus and Mondeo were among the top three sellers in their segments in Spain for the first seven months of 2009.
  • Kuga saw highest sales growth in the compact SUV segment year-to-date in Spain.
  • Focus was best-selling industry vehicle in the first seven months in Hungary in 2009.

July 2009 sales volume (in registrations)

  July 09 July YTD 09

Industry Euro 19 1

 1,397,400
down 21,800 / (1.5) % vs. 07/08		 9,541,300
down 1,322,900 / (12.2) % vs. 07/08

Ford Euro 19 1

125,200
 up 6,000 / 5.0 % vs. 07/08		 871,400
down 68,900 / (7.3) % vs. 07/YTD 08

Industry 21
(Euro 19 + Russia,Turkey)

 1,543,600
down 207,600 / (11.9) % vs.07/08		 10,745,600
down 2,304,700 / (17.7)% vs. 07/08

Ford Euro 21
(Euro 19 + Russia,Turkey)

 135,900
down 8,700 / (6.0) % vs. 07/08		 968,200
down 136,000 / (12.3) % vs. 07/YTD 08

Total Ford EURO 512
(Euro 21+ EDM 30)3

 136,500
down 13,400 / (8.9) % vs. 07/08		 977,200
down 176,700 / (15.3) % vs. 07/YTD 08

1 The Euro 19 markets are: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Ford reports sales for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania through our Finnish National Sales Company, so sales data for the Baltic states is also included within Euro 19.
2 Total  Euro 51 composed of EURO 21 registrations and EDM 30 retail sales, as total EDM 30 registrations figures are not available.  Industry retail sales data not available.
3 EDM 30 or European Direct Markets are: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Gibraltar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgysztan, Libya, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.

July 2009 market share 4

  July 09 July YTD 09

Euro 19

 9.0 %
up 0.6 ppts. vs. July 08		 9.1 %
up 0.5 ppts. vs. July YTD 08

Total EURO 21
(incl. Russia and Turkey)

 8.8 %
up 0.6 ppts. vs. July 08		 9.0 %
up 0.5 ppts. vs. July YTD 08

4 Not available for EDM, where we base our share on non-domestic sales volumes.

Ford Top 5 markets ranked by July volume (in registrations) plus Russia

 

July

July year-to-date
July 09 o(u) July July 09 o(u) July July ytd o(u) J ytd July ytd o(u) J ytd
Volume o(u) 08 Share o(u) 08 Volume o(u) 08 Share o(u) 08
1. Germany 29,400 9,100 8.2 % 1.2 ppts 192,000 51,800 7.6 % 0.9 ppts.
2. UK 28,500 (3,700) 16.3 % (1.7) 217,100 (50,700) 17.9 % 1.5
3. Italy 21,400 5,500 9.6 % 2.3 142,300 16,700 9.7 % 2.0
4. France 12,200 (600) 5.5 % (0.1) 88,400 (200) 5.7 % 0.3
5. Spain 10,000 (300) 8.4 % 1.1 53,500 (39,800) 8.7 % (0.9)
7. Russia 5,300 (13,800) 4.6 % (2.1) 54,400 (62,400) 6.1 % (0.2)

Top 5 markets ranked by Ford's share in July

 

July

July year-to-date
July 09 o(u) July July 09 o(u) July July ytd o(u) J ytd July ytd o(u) J ytd
Share o(u) 08 Volume o(u) 08 Share o(u) 08 Volume o(u) 08

1. Turkey

 17.8 % 3.8 ppts 5,400 (800) 13.6 % (0.9) ppts. 42,400 (4,700)

2. Hungary

 17.6 % 7.8 800 (800) 14.4 % 2.7 7,300 (5,600)

3. UK

 16.3 % (1.7) 28,500 (3,700) 17.9 % 1.5 217,100 (50,700)

4. Ireland

 15.6 % 2.4 800 (1,700) 15.5 % 2.0 9,100 (13,900)

5. Czech Rep.

  11.0% 3.2 1,700 200 10.0 % 2.4 11,000 1,200

July sales (in registrations) by vehicle line (Euro 19) 5

Model

 July 09 o(u) July 08 July YTD 09 o(u) Jul. YTD 08

New Ka

 10,500 10,500 62,300 62,300

Total Ka (prev./new)

 10,500 7,500 64,000 30,300

New Fiesta

 39,900 39,900 277,700 277,700

Total Fiesta (prev./new)

 40,000 14,500 282,000 76,800

Fusion

 4,100 (1,200) 33,700 (10,800)

Focus

 28,700 (2,700) 183,600 (52,200)

Focus CC

 700 (300) 6,300 (1,400)

C-MAX

 6,800 (1,200) 47,900 (24,000)

Kuga

 5,900 2,400 35,500 26,400

Mondeo

 8,900 (4,200) 69,800 (35,900)

S-MAX

 3,800 (1,200) 25,400 (11,600)

Galaxy

 2,300 (500) 16,400 (4,800)

Transit

 8,600 (5,400) 70,300 (40,500)

Transit Connect

 3,300 (1,200) 23,000 (15,700)

Ranger

 800 (200) 8,200 (2,100)

5 Figures do not include vehicles such as the Fiesta van, Maverick, Explorer imports and Turkish-built Cargo heavy trucks. Data are based on registrations.

Notes to Editors:

  • Ford of Europe's market share refers to the traditional main 19 European markets (Euro 19) - excluding Turkey and Russia (as the other main markets) and excluding the 30 European Direct Markets (EDM), where we base our share on non-domestic sales volume and hence no total industry share figures are available.
  • Sales data (reference: registrations) for specific car lines refer to the Euro 19 markets.
  • We also report our sales performance (passenger cars and commercial vehicles) for the total region for which Ford of Europe is responsible (51 markets in total), here however as retail sales (as total industry registrations numbers are not available).
  • The Euro 19 markets are: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Ford reports sales for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania through our Finnish National Sales Company, so sales data for the Baltic states is also included within Euro 19.
  • European Direct Markets are: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Gibraltar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgysztan, Libya, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

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Ford of Europe is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 51 individual markets and employs approximately 69,400 employees. Ford is Europe's No.2 best-selling vehicle brand. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford of Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 22 manufacturing facilities, including joint ventures. The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 - the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911.