Ford Sees Good News In May 2009 Sales

06-02-09: Ford released its May sales numbers today which show one of the best months since July of last year against the news of GM entering bankruptcy and Chrysler finishing up with theirs. For the seventh straight month, Ford saw a market share increase as exciting new products continue to break sales records and bring new customers for the Ford lots.

Models like the new 2010 Ford Fusion lead the sales charts with a 9% increase over last year. Lincoln is even up 2%. Overall Ford saw a 20% increase in sales over last month, giving the brand a cautious optimism that there might be a bottom in the declines over the past year.

Though Ford executives cautioned that the next 90 days would be a volatile time due to the bankruptcy of GM and Chrysler as well as the fire sales of their many closing dealerships, they believe Ford will continue to capture a larger portion of the market through the end of the year.

Consumers worried about buying cars from GM and Chrysler are headed to Ford dealerships in increasing numbers. Ford was the only one of the Big 3 who did not ask the government for a bail out, and that has given them major points in consumer sentiment which is largely against the federal bailouts.

When you factor in the major new products coming from Ford this summer including the new 2010 Ford Taurus, Ford Transit Connect, and Lincoln MKT the outlook continues to look good for the blue oval. While the economy is challenging, Ford is finding that buyers are opting for more fully loaded cars right now, and passing over the strippers. With Ford is rolling out new 345hp twin-turbo Eco-Boost options in a number of new cars this summer, that will only add to their appeal.

The 2010 Mustang is off to a good start in sales in May with 8812 untis. Though the numbers are still slightly down from a year ago. Other models in the Ford lineup are still struggling in the showroom such as large SUV’s and some crossovers.

The best part of Ford’s sales trend right now is that they have been able to move more metal with lower incentives than in the past. With far less unsold inventory on hand, they are not forced to give the cars away which means they are making more profit on each car sold.

With all this news, Ford has planned an increase in production for the 3rd quarter of 10,000 cars and trucks, further cementing their path of recovery and giving Ford employees a better feeling about their jobs in the short term.

For consumers, Ford is rolling out a new promotion starting today where they will make your first three payments to get you through the summer. This new promotion will help get people into a new car, allowing them to skip payments until this fall. Check out the “Drive the Ford Difference” program at your local dealership.