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The overall semiconductor shortage and Ford Motor’s forecasting, production and sales practices resulted in declines in March and Q1 2022 US sales. In a delayed release, Ford posted today that total vehicle sales in March at 159,328 declined -26% year-over-year. Cars sales at 3628 dropped -67%. For a Q1 best forgotten, Ford US sales at 432,132 declined -17%. (GM 522,000, Toyota 514,592, FCA 405,221 . Ford car sales at 14,022 were off -49%, which almost rounds down to, well, dead. (AutoInformed last week: NA Q1 Light Vehicle Sales Rate at 14.1M, -2.7M YoY)
“While the global semiconductor chip shortage continues to create challenges, we saw improvement in March sales, as in-transit inventory improved 74% over February,” said Andrew Frick, vice president, Sales, Distribution & Trucks.
“Our newest products continue to turn at a record pace, as Bronco (truck), Bronco Sport (truck), Mustang Mach-E (EV) and Maverick (truck) had their best combined sales performance yet, with 33,398 vehicles sold, Frick said.”
Doing the math, this doesn’t come close to the ~89,000 deficit in sales. No wonder here that Ford no longer does sales calls for media.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, 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.
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 during a downshift 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.
The board of directors of Ford Motor Company today declared a second-quarter regular dividend of 10 cents per share on the company’s outstanding common and Class B stock. The dividend is payable on June 1 to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 26