Award-Winning Ford Is Motability's Favourite

BRENTWOOD, UNITED KINGDOM – July 23, 2009: Ford's 2009 sales success with Motability customers has been marked by the company receiving the Scheme's volume manufacturer award. The award for best manufacturer with annual Motability registrations over 10,000 went to the blue oval in recognition of vehicles supplied to Motability drivers and the accompanying dealer service.

Motability enables disabled drivers to use government-funded mobility allowances to obtain a new car such as the top-selling Ford Fiesta, which is available with a zero advance payment on the Scheme.

Ford, a founding supporter of the Scheme that today represents the company's largest single customer group, saw Motability applications rise by 25 per cent in June. The Ford model range's flexibility and adaptability to suit disabled drivers led to the blue oval becoming the Motability Scheme's favourite vehicle brand in the first half of 2009.

Over the six months a total of five per cent more Motability users chose new Fords, raising blue oval Motability registrations to 21,334 cars – over 1,400 units ahead of the nearest competitor and representing a 24 per cent share of this market.

Mark Chapman, Ford's Motability manager, said: "Ford's excellent first half of 2009 working with Motability customers was capped by becoming their best volume manufacturer. With the best-ever Ford vehicle range now on offer to them, I'm looking forward to matching that performance through the second half of the year."