Ford Maintains UK Market Lead In November With Strong CV Sales

BRENTWOOD, UNITED KINGDOM – Dec 7, 2011: Ford’s UK market lead was underpinned in November by a significant uplift in commercial vehicle (CV) sales, which saw increased demand for Ford Fiesta Van and Ford Transit, compared with November 2010.

Official figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that total UK car sales in November, compared with November 2010, were down 4.2 per cent at 134,027 units. Ford's car share for November was 13.5 per cent and it sold 18,101 units, down 7.8 per cent from November 2010.

The Ford Fiesta was the UK best seller in November and the Ford Fiesta and the Ford Focus continued as the No 1 and 2 top sellers for the year to date. Ford Transit is the perennial UK CV sales leader, capturing 22.1 per cent of sales in the medium CV sector in November and 24.5 per cent for the year to date.

Ford C-MAX, Ford Kuga and Ford Galaxy all recorded sales and share increases in November, compared with November 2010. Ford ¬C-MAX sales were up from 666 to 2,050; Ford Kuga sales increased from 875 to 917; and Ford Galaxy sales went from 729 to 822. Ford's share of retail car sales for the year to date increased from 11.7 to 12.2 per cent.

Ford Fiesta Van, with sales up from 286 to 400, and Ford Transit, up from 3,837 to 4,696, compared with November 2010, were the top CV performers for Ford in November. Ford’s 46th consecutive year of UK CV sales leadership has been marked by total Ford CV sales for the year to date increasing to 67,701 from 57,639, compared with the same period last year. Ford Transit sales for the year to date are 53,389, up from 42,682 in 2010.

“A combination of our best-ever range of vehicles and state-of-the-art engines, including the new low-CO2 EcoBoost engines, means that more customers continue to choose Ford than any other vehicle brand in the UK,” said Mark Ovenden, Ford of Britain managing director. “To continue to retain market leadership in the face of economic uncertainty and intense competition requires great cars and vans, great value and great service from our dealer partners, all of which we continue to deliver for our private and business customers.”