Ford sales in European markets rise

FORD, the No 2 best-selling new vehicle brand in Europe, increased its market share for the seventh consecutive time last month, resulting in the company's best July and year-to-date market share performance since 1999.

According a media release issued by Premier Automobiles Sdn Bhd, Ford of Europe had nine per cent market share in its main 19 European markets, up 0.6 percentage points from July 2008.

Ford's share for the first seven months of 2009 was 9.1 per cent, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the same period a year ago.

In total, Ford sold 125,200 new vehicles in its main 19 European markets in July, up five per cent, making it the second month in a row this year that Ford has posted a sales increase from the prior year period. Ford's five per cent volume increase contrasts to a 1.5 per cent industry decline in the same month.

"As we are moving into the second half of the year, we are encouraged to see Ford at a 10-year high market share for July and, as a result of this, firmly established as Europe's second best-selling new vehicle brand in Europe," said Ingvar Sviggum, Ford of Europe's Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Service.

The sales success was driven by strong customer demand for the latest Ford products across the line-up, including the Fiesta, new Ka, and best-selling Focus.

The company's product portfolio allowed it to improve market share in 13 of its main 19 European markets.

The improving European results follows news of positive sales performance in other key Ford markets around the world in July including China, the US and Canada.

In the first seven months of 2009, Ford of Europe registered 871,400 vehicles in its 19 main markets, down 7.3 per cent over the same period in 2008.

This compares with a total industry decline of 12.2 per cent in that period.

"We're also pleased to have increased sales volume for the second consecutive month, while the industry is still declining," said Sviggum.

He added that the industry figures however, showed that despite the positive impact of various national vehicle scrappage schemes, the overall trend was still negative and the underlying market weak. Sviggum asserted: "We strongly believe that these incentive schemes should continue for as long as practically possible, and then be phased out in an orderly manner to avoid any dramatic reduction in market demand that could damage the still fragile improvement we have seen in recent months."

July Market and Model Sales Highlights:

* Ford was market leader in the UK, Ireland and Hungary. In Hungary, share was at 17.8, up by 7.8 ppts on the same period 2008, the highest share since 1994.

* Ford's sales volume in Germany increased by 45 per cent (while industry grew 24 per cent) in July, and the company had its highest monthly share there since June 2004.

* Similarly, Ford Austria's July sales were up by 45 per cent, to a record high for the month of July since 1994.

* Ford continues to be the leading imported brand in Italy, with volume up by 35 per cent, despite the Italian industry being up by only three per cent in July.

* Sixty-one percent of Ford passenger cars sold went to retail customers in the Euro 19 markets, up from 47 per cent in July 2008.

* Ford was among the three best-selling brands in 13 of 19 European markets.

The Brunei Times