Ford strengthens UK market leadership

Ford's continuing popularity among private buyers helped to cement its overall position as the UK's number one car and commercial vehicle brand year-to-date.

For the first half of 2007, Ford's total UK vehicle sales are up in both market share and volume compared with the same period last year. The blue oval's 16.5 per cent share of 2007 registrations is its best first half-year performance for five years.

Ford sold 241,620 cars and commercials to take 16.5 per cent of the January to June market – up from a 16.2 per cent share or 233,750 registrations a year ago.

Private, or "retail", car buyers are contributing strongly to Ford's performance. The blue oval's dealerships retailed the most cars to private buyers both in June and year-to-date. Ford dealerships have made 77,848 private sales this year – over 10,000 ahead of the nearest competitor.

Ford is on course to record its 31st consecutive year as car market leader and its 42nd consecutive year as the commercial vehicles sales leader.

Driving Ford's latest sales surge has been the success of new vehicles including S-MAX, Europe's current Car of the Year, and Ford Transit, International Van of the Year 2007. Ford S-MAX and its new Ford Galaxy cousin have driven a near 350 per cent increase in blue oval MPV sales during the last 12 months. Ford Fiesta continues to win new customers, with registrations up by more than 600 compared with last year.

Ford of Britain chairman and managing director Roelant de Waard said: "Ford has strengthened its sales position in the UK through the first half of 2007 thanks to a stream of fresh exciting models including Transit, S-MAX, Galaxy and revised C-MAX. Now with the all-new Mondeo on sale, Ford dealers have a class-leading flagship, which will give a major boost to the second half of the year."

Ford's sales performance in June was restrained by the successful run-out programme for the current Mondeo. With production of the new Mondeo ramping up at Genk plant, and current Mondeo sold out, dealers entered June with unusually low stock. Together with a significant shortfall in the delivery of other models during June, Ford's total vehicle share for the month dipped to 15.1 per cent.

Through July Ford is ramping up on deliveries across the range, with new Mondeo fully on stream. Early orders indicate that the new model will again repeat Ford's full-year leadership of the large car segment as achieved since 2001.