- Ford in pole position for biggest registration month of the year
- "08" plate will be a further draw for the increasing numbers of retail customers visiting Ford dealers
- Soaring green awareness, and proposed London Congestion Charge changes, drive interest in low carbon cars
BRENTWOOD, Essex, 7 March, 2008 – Ford dealers across the country are set to deliver the most "08"-plated vehicles this month.
While the new Fiesta, on sale later this year, was unveiled at this month's Geneva motor show, the current Fiesta continues to be the UK's top selling model among private, or retail, buyers with 9,348 sold to these customers so far this year.
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) also reveal 47,967 vehicle registrations for market leader Ford in 2008. In January and February 36,946 cars and 11,021 commercial vehicles were sold by Ford – the best selling brand in both markets.
Around 425,000 cars are expected to be sold this March in the UK, the month coinciding with the number plate change.
Leading the Ford sales drive in this important month will be the Fiesta and the new Focus, which went on sale last month. These models are contributing to the increasing number of retail buyers already flowing through showroom doors for Ford's Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy large cars. Ford's recently launched large car range has helped the company win over 20 per cent more private customers during January and February than in the same months last year.
October's planned London Congestion Charge exemption for cars emitting under 120g CO2 per kilometer is fuelling interest in Ford's 28 different models falling under this threshold based on model, engine and trim. Over 3,000 customers have so far expressed interest in the 115g Ford Focus ECOnetic model now on sale.
