DEARBORN, Mich. November 2, 2016—Overall U.S. sales for Ford were down 12 percent in October versus a year ago, with 188,813 vehicles sold.
U.S. sales of Ford Transit were up 9 percent, with 10,202 vans sold. F-Series pickup sales increased 0.1 percent, with 65,542 trucks sold – the best October since 2004.
Ford is reporting sales today due to a fire Monday at its World Headquarters, which interrupted power to one of the company’s main data centers that the company and its dealers use to report and track sales. October reporting was extended to 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday, giving U.S. dealers an opportunity to report month-end sales.
October retail sales totaled 143,145 vehicles, down 7 percent. Fleet sales of 45,668 vehicles, including daily rental, commercial and government segments, were down 24 percent, driven primarily by front-loading daily rental deliveries this year, prioritizing Super Duty retail customers and pausing Transit Connect sales to address the previously announced door latch recall.
Lincoln sales totaled 9,069, a 7 percent increase. Retail sales were up 10 percent. Growth came from Lincoln’s new products, with total MKX up 4 percent, MKZ up 3 percent and all-new Continental sales of 1,222 vehicles.
Truck sales remained positive for Ford, with F-Series retail sales up 2 percent on strong Super Duty demand. High-end series Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum pickups represented 75 percent of retail sales. 2017 Super Duty was 36 percent of overall Super Duty retail sales in October.
“High customer demand for our new Super Duty, including top-trim-level pickups, continues to boost transaction prices,” said Mark LaNeve, vice president for U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “New Super Duty is turning on dealer lots in just 18 days, and Ford’s average transaction prices are up $1,600 versus a year ago – far outpacing the industry average of $600.”
Ford’s overall average transaction prices were up $800 versus September, while industry transaction prices were up $460 compared to September.
Overall incentive spending at Ford was up approximately $180 compared to year ago, versus an industry increase of $390. Compared to September, Ford’s overall incentive spend was down $570.
The company’s days’ supply for October was 90 days. Ford has been taking actions to match production with demand, as outlined during the company’s third quarter financial results and is well positioned for Black Friday and year-end sales events. The company’s fourth-quarter North American production guidance of 700,000 vehicles remains unchanged.
| Gross Stock | 2016 | 2016 | 2015 | |||
|
October |
September |
October |
||||
| Passenger Car | ||||||
| Unit Volume | 145,000 | 153,000 | 168,000 | |||
| SUV | ||||||
| Unit Volume | 190,000 | 184,000 | 152,000 | |||
| Trucks | ||||||
| Unit Volume | 315,000 | 314,000 | 302,000 | |||
| Total | ||||||
| Unit Volume | 650,000 | 651,000 | 622,000 | |||
| Days' Supply | 90 | 80 | 79 | |||
| Fleet % of Total Sales | 2016 | 2015 | ||||
|
October |
October |
|||||
| Daily Rental | 7% | 10% | ||||
| Commercial | 11% | 12% | ||||
| Government | 6% | 6% | ||||
| Total | 24% | 28% |
|
FORD MOTOR COMPANY OCTOBER 2016 U.S. SALES |
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|
October |
% |
Year-To-Date |
% | |||||||||
|
2016 |
2015 |
Change |
2016 |
2015 |
Change |
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| SALES BY BRAND | ||||||||||||
| Ford | 179,744 | 205,453 | -12.5 | 2,087,765 | 2,103,677 | -0.8 | ||||||
| Lincoln | 9,069 | 8,485 | 6.9 | 89,504 | 82,449 | 8.6 | ||||||
| Total Vehicles | 188,813 | 213,938 | -11.7 | 2,177,269 | 2,186,126 | -0.4 | ||||||
| SALES BY TYPE | ||||||||||||
| Cars | 44,925 | 61,924 | -27.5 | 598,753 | 690,997 | -13.3 | ||||||
| SUVs | 60,166 | 66,407 | -9.4 | 701,420 | 676,417 | 3.7 | ||||||
| Trucks | 83,722 | 85,607 | -2.2 | 877,096 | 818,712 | 7.1 | ||||||
| Total Vehicles | 188,813 | 213,938 | -11.7 | 2,177,269 | 2,186,126 | -0.4 | ||||||
| FORD BRAND | ||||||||||||
| Fiesta | 3,381 | 3,618 | -6.6 | 42,188 | 57,486 | -26.6 | ||||||
| Focus | 9,368 | 16,423 | -43.0 | 149,417 | 180,287 | -17.1 | ||||||
| C-MAX | 969 | 1,607 | -39.7 | 16,118 | 18,898 | -14.7 | ||||||
| Fusion | 18,686 | 23,668 | -21.0 | 229,148 | 255,143 | -10.2 | ||||||
| Taurus | 2,287 | 2,803 | -18.4 | 29,265 | 33,316 | -12.2 | ||||||
| Police Interceptor Sedan | 792 | 845 | -6.3 | 7,958 | 8,291 | -4.0 | ||||||
| Mustang | 5,414 | 10,096 | -46.4 | 92,672 | 106,321 | -12.8 | ||||||
| Ford Cars | 40,897 | 59,060 | -30.8 | 566,766 | 659,742 | -14.1 | ||||||
| Escape | 23,505 | 24,719 | -4.9 | 258,269 | 257,731 | 0.2 | ||||||
| Edge | 8,064 | 10,011 | -19.4 | 111,140 | 105,720 | 5.1 | ||||||
| Flex | 1,066 | 1,409 | -24.3 | 18,100 | 16,471 | 9.9 | ||||||
| Explorer | 16,106 | 18,748 | -14.1 | 180,019 | 190,276 | -5.4 | ||||||
| Police Interceptor Utility | 2,491 | 1,975 | 26.1 | 27,003 | 20,618 | 31.0 | ||||||
| Expedition | 3,893 | 3,924 | -0.8 | 49,372 | 34,407 | 43.5 | ||||||
| Ford SUVs | 55,125 | 60,786 | -9.3 | 643,903 | 625,223 | 3.0 | ||||||
| F-Series | 65,542 | 65,500 | 0.1 | 661,198 | 629,951 | 5.0 | ||||||
| E-Series | 4,592 | 4,036 | 13.8 | 44,787 | 43,072 | 4.0 | ||||||
| Transit | 10,202 | 9,361 | 9.0 | 122,809 | 95,446 | 28.7 | ||||||
| Transit Connect | 2,265 | 5,877 | -61.5 | 36,018 | 42,704 | -15.7 | ||||||
| Heavy Trucks | 1,121 | 833 | 34.6 | 12,284 | 7,539 | 62.9 | ||||||
| Ford Trucks | 83,722 | 85,607 | -2.2 | 877,096 | 818,712 | 7.1 | ||||||
| Ford Brand | 179,744 | 205,453 | -12.5 | 2,087,765 | 2,103,677 | -0.8 | ||||||
| LINCOLN BRAND | ||||||||||||
| MKZ | 2,481 | 2,406 | 3.1 | 25,343 | 25,369 | -0.1 | ||||||
| MKS | 325 | 458 | -29.0 | 4,647 | 5,886 | -21.0 | ||||||
| Continental | 1,222 | 0 | N/A | 1,997 | 0 | N/A | ||||||
| Lincoln Cars | 4,028 | 2,864 | 40.6 | 31,987 | 31,255 | 2.3 | ||||||
| MKC | 1,916 | 1,982 | -3.3 | 20,702 | 20,219 | 2.4 | ||||||
| MKX | 2,279 | 2,189 | 4.1 | 24,989 | 17,356 | 44.0 | ||||||
| MKT | 248 | 456 | -45.6 | 3,192 | 3,865 | -17.4 | ||||||
| Navigator | 598 | 994 | -39.8 | 8,634 | 9,754 | -11.5 | ||||||
| Lincoln SUVs | 5,041 | 5,621 | -10.3 | 57,517 | 51,194 | 12.4 | ||||||
| Lincoln Brand | 9,069 | 8,485 | 6.9 | 89,504 | 82,449 | 8.6 | ||||||
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 203,000 employees and 62 plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks and SUVs, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. To expand its business model, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities with investments in electrification, autonomy and mobility. Ford provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products and services, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
Ford October 2016 Sales Results Analyst Comments
From Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book:
“The strength of Ford's truck and SUV line is almost - almost - countering the company's decline in car sales, but even the new F-Series can't cover Ford's losses on the car side. This general pattern is reflected throughout the industry, putting a big question mark over the wisdom of any and all future car development.”
From Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Autotrader:
“October proved to be yet-another challenging month for Ford. One wonders where the bottom is for Ford cars, in particular.”
From Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book:
“Ford’s sales results are largely in line with the overall trend in October, a decline versus the robust sales recorded in October 2015. Perhaps the most encouraging thing for Ford Motor Company is Lincoln’s sales increase in the face of a general downturn, indicating that the company is gaining traction in the high-margin luxury end of the business.”
From Bob Gordon, President and Co-publisher of The Auto Channel
I am blown away by the meager sales numbers for Lincoln especially surprising because you can't turn your TV on without seeing a Lincoln commercial featuring Matthew McConaughey; falling into a pool, driving along a dark highway, picking out his cool clothing and smiling his smerky (some might say sexy) smile as he becomes one with his Lincoln.
Lot's of TV exposure and I'm sure LOTS OF AD BUDGET, to what end?, to sell 9069 Lincolns in October across the 50 States.. Sales of the new Navigator totaled 598 units and the MM favorite MKT had 248 units sold across America.
With sales numbers like these I really wonder how Lincoln can continue to build these slow selling (to be kind) models? If you divide the total Lincoln TV budget by 9069 units it sure is costing Lincoln a shitpot of money to unsuccessfully reach and convince potential buyers that they too can be as cool as MM if they buy a Lincoln.
Now for some sour grapes, over the years I have proposed an inexpensive method to reach in the funnel shoppers directly to the car guys at Lincoln, but their ad agency insists that Lincoln has no budget, no budget to reach thousands of The Auto Channel viewers who are actively searching for and researching Lincoln vehicles and their competitors offerings...no budget WTF.
Why not take the MM budget spread it out to digital media like The Auto Channel, and then offer big spiffs to local Lincoln Dealer sales guys to sell new Lincolns outside of the show room, I will be happy to show them how.
Hey Lincoln execs go here to see your missed opportunity Lincoln Research and Buyers Guide