Ford U.S. Sales Off 3% in March; Industry-Leading Truck Line Strengthened By New Super Duty F-Series
3 April 1998
Ford U.S. Sales Off 3% in March; Industry-Leading Truck Line Strengthened By New Super Duty F-Series
DETROIT, April 3 -- U.S. customers purchased or leased
338,341 cars and trucks from Ford , Mercury, and Lincoln dealers in
March, down 3.3 percent from the same period a year ago. Notably, the Ford
F-Series pickup had one of its biggest sales months in two decades.
Passenger car sales totaled 135,391, down 5.9 percent. Truck sales
totaled 202,950, down 1.4 percent, including 72,191 F-Series -- the fifth time
since 1979 that F-Series eclipsed 70,000 sales in a month.
"The all-new Super Duty F-Series is starting to make its presence felt,"
said Bob Rewey, Ford's group vice president of marketing, sales, and service.
"The launch is progressing smoothly, and the Ford-UAW team at the Kentucky
Truck Plant in Louisville is ready to launch three-crew operations on Monday,
April 6."
With 44 pickup and chassis cab models, including 17 models not offered by
any other manufacturer, the Super Duty F-Series offers the most complete line
of work trucks in the industry and is the latest example of Ford's leadership
in the truck market.
The Super Duty F-Series is the first of Ford's pickups to offer consumers
the versatility of a four-door SuperCab, but it's not the last. Production of
the Ford Ranger four-door SuperCab began on Wednesday, April 1 at the Edison
(NJ) Assembly Plant, and will be expanded to the Twin Cities (MN) Assembly
Plant on April 15.
Ford's quartet of sport utility vehicles (Ford Explorer and Expedition,
Mercury Mountaineer, and Lincoln Navigator) set a March sales record of
59,356. "Younger buyers are discovering the enhanced value and styling of the
two-door Ford Explorer in increasing numbers," noted Rewey.
Lincoln continues to benefit from strong customer acceptance of its newest
products -- the Lincoln Town Car and Continental sedans and the Navigator
sport utility vehicle. In March, total Lincoln sales were 16,314, up
54 percent from a year ago. During the first half of the 1998 model year,
Lincoln sales were 98,486, up 49 percent from the same six-month period a year
ago. The automotive world will see the next chapter in the "New Look of
Lincoln" when the Lincoln LS6 and LS8 make their world debut at the New
York Auto Show next week.
Not to be outdone by the newest products, Ford's Mustang has parlayed
enhanced customer value and its venerable brand image to achieve another sales
increase. "U.S. customers continue to saddle up Mustangs at a brisk pace,"
said Rewey. "In March, over 13,000 Mustangs galloped out of Ford Division
dealer showrooms, the best sales month in almost two years." In the 1998
model year, Mustang sales are up 31 percent.
With First Quarter sales in the history books, Rewey commented on the
outlook for the automotive industry: "As expected, First Quarter industry
sales were slightly lower than last year's strong sales pace. Still, we
estimate that the sales rate in the first three months of 1998 was over
15 million. This, as well as recent reports on economic growth, employment,
and consumer confidence, suggests that the U.S. industry is on pace to record
its fifth consecutive year of sales in the 15 to 15.5 million range.
In 1997, Ford announced that it was discontinuing five vehicles and
selling its heavy truck business. Excluding these products, Ford's combined
March U.S. sales were up 1.8% (cars were up 1.3% and trucks were up 2.2%). On
the same basis, Ford's First Quarter U.S. sales were up 0.3% (cars were up
2.9% and trucks were down 1.4%).
"In the short-term, the decision to eliminate the low-volume, low-profit
products from our passenger car and truck lineup will cost us market share,"
said Rewey. "In the longer term, this decision will enable the company and
our dealers to offer improved customer value and satisfaction on the rest of
our brands."
FORD MOTOR COMPANY MARCH SALES
March Month DSR % March CYTD DSR %
1998 1997 Change 1998 1997 Change
TOTAL VEHICLES* 338,341 349,813 -3.3% 882,538 925,710 -4.7%
TOTAL CARS* 135,391 143,922 -5.9 370,192 388,662 -4.8
TOTAL TRUCKS 202,950 205,891 -1.4 512,346 537,048 -4.6
memo:
Domestic Cars 134,666 141,305 -4.7% 367,670 381,901 -3.7%
Imported Cars* 725 2,617 -72.3 2,522 6,761 -62.7
Light Trucks 200,865 201,142 -0.1 506,333 525,675 -3.7
Heavy Trucks 2,085 4,749 -56.1 6,013 11,373 -47.1
Note: Percentage changes are based on daily selling rates.
Selling Days 26 26 76 76
* These figures exclude sales of Jaguar Cars, a wholly-owned Ford
subsidiary, which reports its results separately.
CONTACT: George Pipas, 313-446-9195
FORD DIVISION MARCH SALES
March Month DSR % March CYTD DSR %
1998 1997 Change 1998 1997 Change
Crown Victoria 12,019 10,184 18.0% 28,978 30,274 -4.3%
Thunderbird* 350 5,490 -93.6 1,786 17,305 -89.7
Taurus 34,254 28,708 19.3 88,244 88,135 0.1
Contour 10,740 15,792 -32.0 36,197 37,109 -2.5
Escort 23,947 26,380 -9.2 65,951 66,549 -0.9
Aspire* 725 2,617 -72.3 2,522 6,761 -62.7
Mustang 13,189 9,925 32.9 33,656 23,726 41.9
Probe* 446 1,249 -64.3 1,493 3,929 -62.0
TOTAL FORD CARS 95,670 100,345 -4.7% 258,827 273,788 -5.5%
Expedition/Bronco 16,673 19,465 -14.3% 46,197 46,383 -0.4%
Explorer 34,913 32,034 9.0 89,722 89,633 0.1
Econoline/Club Wagon 19,668 17,964 9.5 46,878 42,118 11.3
Aerostar* 248 4,787 -94.8 1,060 13,901 -92.4
Windstar 19,421 19,575 -0.8 45,444 49,473 -8.1
Ranger 26,147 28,961 -9.7 70,074 74,570 -6.0
F-Series 72,191 67,736 6.6 177,205 183,128 -3.2
TOTAL FORD LT.
TRUCKS 189,261 190,522 -0.7% 476,580 499,206 -4.5%
Heavy Trucks* 2,085 4,749 -56.1 6,013 11,373 -47.1
TOTAL FORD DIV.
TRUCKS 191,346 195,271 -2.0% 482,593 510,579 -5.5%
FORD DIVISION
TOTAL 287,016 295,616 -2.9% 741,420 784,367 -5.5%
Note: Percentage changes are based on daily selling rates.
* Vehicle Discontinued in 1997
CONTACT: Brenda Hines, Ford Division, 313-446-7736
LINCOLN-MERCURY DIVISION MARCH SALES
March Month DSR % March CYTD DSR %
1998 1997 Change 1998 1997 Change
Grand Marquis 10,824 9,320 16.1% 30,451 23,624 28.9%
Cougar* 511 2,954 -82.7 2,250 8,595 -73.8
Sable 9,727 11,183 -13.0 24,404 28,821 -15.3
Mystique 3,295 5,216 -36.8 9,053 12,771 -29.1
Tracer 2,763 4,280 -35.4 8,234 12,019 -31.5
TOTAL MERCURY CARS 27,120 32,953 -17.7% 74,392 85,830 -13.3%
Town Car 8,281 6,384 29.7 24,622 18,320 34.4
Mark VIII 1,168 1,369 -14.7 3,108 3,540 -12.2
Continental 3,152 2,871 9.8 9,243 7,184 28.7
TOTAL LINCOLN CARS 12,601 10,624 18.6% 36,973 29,044 27.3%
L-M TOTAL CARS 39,721 43,577 -8.8% 111,365 114,874 -3.1%
Villager 3,834 6,263 -38.8% 8,911 14,696 -39.4%
Mountaineer 4,057 4,357 -6.9 10,516 11,773 -10.7
Navigator 3,713 0 NA@ 10,326 0 NA@
L-M LIGHT TRUCKS 11,604 10,620 9.3% 29,753 26,469 12.4%
L-M DIVISION TOTAL 51,325 54,197 -5.3% 141,118 141,343 -0.2%
Memo: Total Lincoln
Brand 16,314 10,624 53.6% 47,299 29,044 62.9%
Note: Percentage changes are based on daily selling rates.
@ Lincoln Navigator's public introduction date was July 1, 1997.
* Vehicle Discontinued in 1997
CONTACT: Anne Doyle, Lincoln-Mercury Division, 313-446-4368
SOURCE Ford Motor Company