Ford Sales Down, Taurus No Longer Best Seller

05/06/96

Reuters reported that Ford Motor Company posted a 2% decline in April sales this year as compared to April 1995, and the company's Taurus lost its title of best selling car in the U.S. to Honda's Accord.

Last month Ford sold 332,777 cars and light trucks in 26 selling days, while the year before the automaker sold 326,557 vehicles in 25 selling days. The 2 percent drop in April sales is based on a calculated daily selling rate. The automaker's sales dropped mostly because of sagging sales of domestic cars (down 5.3% to 141,214). Ford's North American made truck sales increased by 0.9% to 187,034. Among the big three U.S. car makers, Ford was alone in reporting a sales decline, last month.

Ford's Taurus sales increased by 2.7 percent during the month, but none of the consumer incentives that the company offered on the car were enough to keep it from selling less than the Honda Accord. In the first four months of 1996, Ford sold 123,837 Taurus Models, while Honda sold 124,927 Accords.

The Taurus has been the best-selling car in America for the past four years. Ford won the title away from Honda in 1992. Although its to early to predict what will happen over the rest of the year, losing the title for this model year would upset Ford, as the Taurus has just been redesigned. Honda is hoping to show Ford that their new Taurus is overpriced for the market.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel