Ford Attracts More Private Buyers And Stretches UK Market Lead In 2013

BRENTWOOD, UNITED KINGDOM – Jan 8, 2014: Ford strengthened its UK market lead in 2013 while recording 37 consecutive years of car sales leadership and 48 years of UK commercial vehicle (CV) sales leadership. Private buyers were a significant contributor to Ford’s success as they helped increase retail sales and share in 2013, compared with 2012.

Highlights of the official full-year 2013 figures issued today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) include:
Ford is the number one UK car brand for 37 successive years.

Ford commercial vehicles have been the UK's favourite for 48 years.

Ford stretches its retail car sales lead over its nearest rival by 54 per cent.

Ford Fiesta is the UK best seller for the fifth successive year.

Ford Focus is second and Ford Transit sixth in overall vehicle sales.

Ford Transit maintains its clear lead in CV sales.

Mark Ovenden, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said: "Ford’s commitment has been consistently to provide UK customers with the best vehicle range and after-sales support supplied through the strongest dealer network. Our long-standing market leadership is the result of this strategy.

“In 2013, Ford extended its sales lead in a fiercely competitive market thanks to the launches of award-winning vehicles and technologies and we will continue to appeal to private and business customers, as we go through 2014, by strengthening our vehicle range still further and providing the best sales and service offering in our dealerships."

According to the official SMMT figures full year car sales in the UK in 2013 were up 10.8 per cent at 2,264,737 registrations, compared with 2012. Ford sold 310,865 cars in the UK last year, up from 281,917 in 2012. Ford’s share of retail cars sales in 2013 was up 1.1 percentage points at 13.1 per cent, compared with 2012, with a corresponding increase in retail registrations from 112,215 in 2012 to 141,144 in 2013.

Ford Fiesta was the UK car sales leader again in 2013, having taken the position from the Ford Focus in 2009, with 121,929 registrations, up from 109,265 in 2012. Ford Focus was second in UK car sales in 2013 with 87,350 registrations, up from 83,115 in 2012.

Underlining the strength in depth of the Ford range, there were increases in sales and share in 2013 for the Ford Ka, Ford Fiesta, Ford B-MAX, Ford Focus, Ford C-MAX and the Ford Kuga, compared with 2012.

Ford Transit has led the UK CV sector from its launch in 1965 and Ford’s CV market leadership remains unchallenged with a 20.9 per cent share for the full year 2013. Ford medium commercials secured 31.3 per cent of the segment in 2013, up from 30.7 per cent in 2012.

The December registration figures released by the SMMT show that UK car sales were up by 23.8 per cent at 152,918 units, compared with December 2012. Ford car sales were 19,496, up from 15,656 in December 2012 and Ford's car sales share was 12.8 per cent, up from 12.7 per cent in December 2012. Ford Retail car sales were 7,747, up from 5,445 in December 2012. Ford retail car sales share was up 2.0 percentage points at 12.6 per cent, compared with December 2012.

UK commercial vehicle sales in December were up 62.5 per cent at 33,750, compared with December 2012. Total sales of Ford CVs were up from 3,328 in December 2012 to 5,107 in December 2013. Ford medium commercials, headed by the industry-leading Ford Transit, increased sales and share in December, compared with December 2012, up from 2,799 to 4,670 registrations and from 23.3 to 28.1 per cent, respectively.