Ford Motor Company U.S. sales increased 14% in February to 179,119 vehicles sold compared to February of 2010. Retail sales increased 19%. The Ford brand was up 14%, while Lincoln posted a 16% increase compared to year-ago levels. Early indications are that the overall auto industry sales were up ~16%, with a seasonally adjusted annual rate or SAAR or 13.3 million for light vehicles.
Leading the way at Ford was the F-Series pickup truck sales totaled 47,273 pickups, up 26% – V6 engines made up 57% of F-150 retail sales in February; the expensive EcoBoost option accounted for 43% of mix. Trucks continue to be the real strength at Ford with trucks up 21%. Cars were up 16%, sport utilities up 5%, with Escape setting a best-ever February sales record with 18,666 vehicles sold. The aging Escape has had two consecutive best-ever sales months in January and February – its strongest-ever start to a year.
Ford Motor Company’s North American production plan is to build 730,000 vehicles in the second quarter of 2012, up 3% (20,000 vehicles) compared with the second quarter 2011. First quarter production (675,000 vehicles) is unchanged from the previous forecast. This means that Ford is not counting on the current increase in demand to be sustained.
Edmunds had Ford sales incentives at $2,827, the second highest in the industry for the month behind leader GM at $3,257.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
