Ford Motor Company recorded its ninth consecutive month of improved retail market share year over year in October and fifth consecutive month of increased sales volume.
Ford's passenger car retail market share in October in its five largest Western European markets (U.K., Germany, France, Italy and Spain) was 7.9 per cent in October, up 0.2 percentage points. Year-to-date, the company's retail share is 8.3 per cent, a year-over-year increase of a full percentage point. Ford's retail share for both October and year-to-date was the highest since Ford started tracking retail share in 2010.
Compared to October 2012, Ford sales to retail and fleet customers increased five percentage points to 75 per cent of total sales, two percentage points better than industry average. At the same time, Ford reduced sales to rental companies and dealer self-registrations to 25 per cent from 30 per cent a year ago.
"Thanks to the strength of our products, the quality of our sales - more sales to retail and fleet customers, reduced sales to rental companies and fewer dealer self-registrations - continues to be better than industry average," said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe. "I am confident we'll see that trend continuing as we accelerate our vehicle introductions with at least 25 new or refreshed vehicles within five years as we go into 2014 and beyond."
October also marked the fifth consecutive month of sales growth for Ford in Europe. Customer demand was up across Ford's vehicle line-up, and especially by its newest vehicle introductions, including B-MAX, Transit Custom and Ranger.
Overall, Ford sales were up 1.7 percent in October, at 90,300 units in its traditional 19 European markets. So far in 2013, Ford has sold 915,000 vehicles, and its total market share is 7.9 per cent, unchanged from the same period last year.
Industry sales in Ford's 19 traditional markets grew 4.1 per cent in October, but are still down year-to date by 3.5 per cent. Ford remains the No. 2 best-selling vehicle brand year-to-date in the region.
Ford registered 16,100 commercial vehicles in October and 156,700 year-to-date, an increase of 10.7 per cent and 4.1 per cent, respectively. This drove Ford's commercial vehicle share to 8.8 per cent in October, up 0.4 percentage points, and to 9.4 per cent year-to-date, up 0.8 of a percentage point. Both the October and year-to-date commercial vehicle shares were Ford's best since 2007. Ford's commercial vehicle share has increased in each month year-over-year, except in May when it was flat.
Market Highlights
In the UK, Ford's largest European market by sales, it again extended its market lead. Ford sales volume rose by 3.4 per cent to 27,000 in October and by 9.3 per cent to 330,800 year-to-date.
Ford's retail share in October year-to-date was 13.3 per cent, an increase of 0.9 percentage points on the first 10 months of 2012. Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus were the UK's number one and two best-sellers year to date. Ford cars are in their 37th consecutive year of market leadership, and Ford commercial vehicles in their 48th consecutive year of leadership in the UK.
In Germany, Ford's second largest sales market, the company sold 22,300 vehicles in October. Ford's total vehicle market share was 7.6 per cent for the month, the same as in October 2012, while Ford's retail share grew by 0.7 percentage points to 6.6 per cent. Ford's commercial vehicle October share in Germany grew by 2.0 percentage points to 9.0 per cent.
In Russia, Turkey and Italy, Ford has sold 85,400, 83,100 and 79,300 vehicles respectively year-to-date, making them the third, fourth and fifth largest markets for Ford so far this year. In Turkey, Ford improved its October market share by 0.7 percentage points to 12.3 per cent.
Sales in the countries where Ford of Europe operates through importers - most of which in the Eastern European and North African region (European Direct Markets) - were up 0.2 percentage points year-to-date October, at 42,700 units.
Across its total 51 European markets, Ford sold 110,200 vehicles in October and 1,130,200 year-to-date.
Vehicle Sales Highlights
Ford sold 5,300 B-MAX multi-activity vehicles (MAVs) in October, adding up to almost 60,000 B-MAX vehicles having been registered so far this year. B-MAX remains Europe's best-selling small MAV in the first three quarters of the year, with a segment share of 15.7 per cent (based on Ford's analysis of latest available Polk registration data).
C-MAX sales in October increased 15 per cent to 8,600, and more than 84,000 have been sold throughout the year making it the No.3 best-selling Ford vehicle behind the Fiesta and Focus.
C-MAX retail sales share* in its segment grew by 3.2 percentage points in October.
Commercial vehicles saw a strong demand for Transit Custom and Ranger. Ranger year-to-date sales increased by almost 60 per cent versus the same period last year, and were the highest for an October year-to-date period since 2008.
