August Mustang sales down 28%

Well, it was good while it lasted. Remember July? Ford actually saw an increase in Mustang sales by .3%. Sure, it wasn't a lot, but it was a gain over the previous year, and it was the first time this year that Ford had seen an increase in Mustang sales.
As for August, it looks like things have returned to the norm. Today Ford reported that sales of the Mustang were down 28.8 percent last month when compared to August 2007 sales. Last month Ford sold 8,197 Mustangs. In August of 2007 they sold 11,512.

In all, Mustang sales are down 25.7 percent for the year. This year the company has sold 73,961 Mustangs. Last year at this time they had sold 99,537. Jim Farley, Ford group vice president, Marketing and Communications said, "We expect the second half of 2008 will be more challenging than the first half, as weak economic conditions and the consumer credit crunch continues." In all, Ford says consumers are continuing to seek out, "smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles."

So where does this all net out? I think the important issue to ponder is whether or not the redesigned 2010 Mustang will be able to turn sales around. Will an EcoBoost engine in the Mustang really result in more sales for the company? What about plans to make the Mustang look smaller? Will more people want to buy the car because of this? If not, what will make more people want to buy a Mustang?

It sucks that sales are down almost a 1/4. thats 25K less on the road, i'm hoping the redesign is a new birth like the S197's were. Brings a whole new generation into mustangs.

But most of the people that are looking for a good mpg aren't going to look at ford first...hopefully with the new engine designs and people realizing that it's more fun to get 22mpg in a mustang vs a corolla will bring a new birth to it.

With the current economy and gas prices, this trend will always keep sales down. Plus with the troop deployments, that's some 30,000 potential buyers not available to purchase Mustangs. If Ford would offer a few more incentives to buyers, this could solve some issues. Most of the other manufacturers now offer more then the basic 3 year 36,000 mile warranty.