Ford Motor(NYSE: F) U.S. sales decreased 5% in April to 179,660 vehicles in a market that was up 2.3%, with car sales dropping 11.2% at 64,790 while the overall market was up 3.2%. Ford Motor fleet sales were high at 37% of the mix.
Overall, Ford Motor Sales were buoyed by trucks and sport utilities, but Ford is now facing a strong challenge from Toyota Motor Sales, which is expected to be up almost 12% in April when Toyota reports later today. Ford’s dropping of the and the Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car and Ranger compact pickup truck is costing it sales. Toyota Motor is closing in on Ford Motor’s Number Two U.S. sales ranking since it sold 200,000 vehicles in March. (editor’s note – Toyota subsequently reported April sales of 178,044, up 12% y-o-y. It looks like Ford will lose market share this year, and the next quarter will tell of Toyota can catch it.)
The Ford F-Series pickup truck had its best April since 2007 with sales of more than 47,000, a 4.4% gain. The Ranger compact pickup – in the process of being phased out – sold fewer than 2,000 units as stocks dwindled. Ford said it is “right on plan” converting Ranger owners to F-Series buyers, but did not provide data to support it. Ford Escape and Edge sold 17,000 and 10,500 respectively.
While sales of some of Ford’s more fuel efficient vehicles were up – the outgoing Fusion at 21,610 and the new Focus at 19,425 performed well – the Fiesta plummeted -44% to 5,135 vehicles, its fifth straight monthly decline while gas prices remain close to $4 per gallon on a national average. Mustang sales dropped 5% to 7,800 vehicles.
Once again, Lincoln sales declined to 6,300 vehicles, a trend that is likely to continue until this fall when a new MKZ appears. The Town Car, which sold 3,600 units in April of 2011, sold 513 units as the canceled luxury sedan is about to be extinct. Calendar year to date Lincoln is even at 27,000 units.
