Ford in pole position for July motor show
Ford is heading to the British International Motor Show this month as number one vehicle brand – and by a widening margin.This year's Ford car sales are over 10,000 units ahead of last year. Blue oval commercial vehicle registrations are similarly ahead. Figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) confirm Ford's continued leadership of the UK's sales charts.
In the first half of this year UK motorists took delivery of 186,670 new Ford cars – 10,400 up on the same time last year – securing 15 per cent of the market. The Ford Focus continues as Britain's favourite car and helping to keep interest levels high is the new Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet, the star of Ford's stand at the Motor Show.
In the commercial vehicle sector, where the iconic Ford Transit takes one in four sales, the blue oval range attracted 23 per cent of the market. The exciting new Ford Ranger pick-up is also featured on the show stand.
Other Ford highlights for the first half of 2006 include:
30,000 car gap between Ford Focus, Britain's top selling car, and nearest competitor. More than 77,500 Ford customers have chosen a new Focus this year so far
Ford Ka approaches 10th birthday as most popular city car (22 per cent segment share) Continued.
One in five new small cars is a Ford Fiesta – the retail (private buyers') favourite
Ford Focus is number one fleet choice (company car) and top selling diesel
Total Focus sales (retail and fleet combined) since the model was first launched in 1998 will top 1,000,000 cars this month. Visit the Ford stand at the British motor show at Excel, London Docklands, from July 18 to 30 to see Focus number 1,000,000 – a bioethanol-powered Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV)
Roelant de Waard, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said: "I'm looking forward to my first British motor show as head of Ford of Britain since joining six months ago. Our Ford friends old and new will be dazzled by the most exciting Ford product line-up ever seen here in Britain."
