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Ford November 2011 Sales up 13%, Retail up 20%


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November U.S. Retail Sales Up 20 Percent for Ford Motor Company; Fuel-Efficient Cars, Utilities, Trucks Drive Results

 

Ford Motor Company’s U.S. retail sales rose 20 percent in November – the largest year-over-year increase in nine months. Total sales (including fleet deliveries) were 166,865, up 13 percent

Capitalizing on consumer demand for fuel-efficient vehicles, Ford’s retail share has averaged 15 percent in last three months – a level not seen in five years

Ford brand retail sales up across the board – cars, utilities and trucks

Ford announces first quarter 2012 production plan

Download Full Sales Release (With Tables)

 

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 1, 2011 – Ford Motor Company’s November U.S. retail sales increased 20 percent versus a year ago. Total sales were 166,865, up 13 percent.

 

Ford estimates its retail market share has averaged 15 percent in the last three months – its highest retail share in five years.

 

Ford brand retail sales were higher for most products, with double-digit gains posted by Fiesta, Fusion, Escape, Explorer, F-Series, Econoline and Ranger.

 

“With gasoline prices continuing to track higher than last year, consumers continue to value fuel economy – no matter what size or kind of vehicle best meets their needs,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “Most Ford products deliver best-in-class fuel economy and provide customers an opportunity to choose what best works for them – EcoBoost technology or electrified vehicles.”

 

North American Production

Ford plans to build 675,000 vehicles in the first quarter of 2012, up 3 percent (18,000 vehicles) compared with first quarter 2011. Ford plans to build 674,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2011, an increase of 14,000 vehicles from the previous forecast.

 

“The industry sales rate has exceeded 13 million in each of the last three months,” said Czubay. “This suggests the current momentum is not an aberration. We believe replacement demand will continue to support stronger levels in 2012, and Ford is ready to meet that demand with high-quality, fuel-efficient cars, utilities and trucks.”

 

LINK - Ford Media

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Is it too soon to start thinking that Ford screwed the pooch with the new Focus? :nonono:

 

I still think it's a bit early. It's tough to say at what "class of car" buyers think more about price then features. Ford made a bet on features for their C-class offering which I think will pay off in the end. I was building one last night (Titanium 5 door) and honestly with all the features it had, I wasn't completely destroyed by the sticker ($25-something). That was no nav though....I think Nav should be standard with MFT, just my opinion though.

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11k Focus? Goodness.

 

Escape, Explorer and Edge all looking good. Fusion had another 19k month.

 

MKX inched up over 2k, every other Lincoln is down.

 

Winners:

 

F-150

Escape.....Bill Brown sent me brochure offering new Escape Limited ($29,000 sticker) for $21,000 plus tax and lic.

Fusion

Explorer

MKX

Taurus

 

Not sure what is wrong with Focus. Availability seems to be there with hundreds on lots around here. I would say it's sticker shock as there are great deals on Escape especially right now as noted above. You can get an XLT Escape for under $20,000 and a Limited for not that much more. Small to mid sized utilities seem to sweet spot of market for Ford. And mid sized sedans like Fusion.

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Is it too soon to start thinking that Ford screwed the pooch with the new Focus? :nonono:

 

It's disappointing, because it is a great car, but I don't think it will be the huge volume seller it was before. If they can move 11-15k with minimal incentives, I'd consider it a success.

 

Although, the Cruze is down to 13k for November as well, and it looks like plenty of those sales came at the expense of Malibu, which only moved 10k units.

 

Toyota and Honda will still sell heavily incentivized, boring ol' Corollas and Civics by the bucket full. I'm glad Ford decided to take a different route.

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Problems with the Focus is the Fusion -- the Fusion and even Escape now lease out cheaper than the Focus.

 

People are looking for bargains and they see the bargain priced Escape and Fusion as great alternative to the premium priced new Focus with minimal incentives. Also, both the Escape and Fusion do more as the Escape is multi-functional and the Fusion offers more room and comfort. Focus will not do better in my mind until new Fusion and Escape hit market and present generation Escapes and Fusions are cleared off lots for good. Then the Focus will be bargaine priced compared to new Escape and Fusion. If a Titanium Focus stickers for $28,000, you know where the Fusion Titanium is going in price. Through the fricking roof. I guess someone out there is getting big raises every year.

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I guess someone out there is getting big raises every year.

 

I think you're looking at it in the wrong way. Ford is prepping for the seemingly inevitable downsizing of vehicles. People who previously bought $28,000 midsize cars may very well be looking to buy a compact next time around, and may very well be willing to spend the same amount of money for it, as long as the content is there.

 

I don't think Ford is counting on people who previously purchased $18,000 compacts to suddenly be willing to pay $28,000 for one.

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Is it too soon to start thinking that Ford screwed the pooch with the new Focus? :nonono:

 

Well let's hope the same thing doesn't happen when the new Escape shows up. I know a lot of you think I am crazy to think that the new Escape might not be as successful as the current one, but Ford is applying the same formula to the Escape that they have applied to the Focus and the results have been mixed.

 

You can talk about much higher ATP's all day long, but if volume falls enough less money will be made and that is a fact.

 

You would think Escape would be down if everyone was waiting on the new one, but it seems that the introduction of the new one hasn't hurt the current ones sales at all. It had another impressive month.

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It's probably too soon to declare the Focus a flop, but right now the pricing on the product doesn't make much sense relative to the competition. The Focus might have a lower MSRP than the last model, but it costs more to get a similarly equipped Focus this year. I don't think the Focus is pricing up well against the competition, I know that's how I lost my sister to Hyundai. Either way I'm more interested in how the Focus does relative to the competition than last year's discount and fleet queen, and the competition is certainly outselling the Focus by a significant margin and Ford appears to have lost this segment for the time being. The 2012 Focus also had some major design and production glitches which have really botched this model year. And Ford's marketing on the Focus has been particularly awful. I think it will just take some model-line adjustments in 2013 to find the sweet spot for cross-shoppers without the aid of incentives (add more visual content at the sub $20K price point like larger alloys ).

Edited by BORG
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You would think Escape would be down if everyone was waiting on the new one, but it seems that the introduction of the new one hasn't hurt the current ones sales at all. It had another impressive month.

Current Escape's impressive end-of-life run is built on price, not on looks.

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Current Escape's impressive end-of-life run is built on price, not on looks.

 

Your quite possibly correct, however I doubt a higher price with no incentives is going to help the new one sell at even higher levels. If sales of the Escape drop down to Focus levels don't say I didn't say so. If it sells like hot cakes I will be the first to admit I was wrong.

 

I see the Explorer is selling very well breaking 12,000 for the month! The Flex is barely breaking 2,000 these days and in a month or two it is possible the MKT will be down in the 200's!!! Is it really worth building those vehicles at that rate? Seriously build more Explorers and come out with an Aviator and bury those slow sellers!

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Well let's hope the same thing doesn't happen when the new Escape shows up. I know a lot of you think I am crazy to think that the new Escape might not be as successful as the current one, but Ford is applying the same formula to the Escape that they have applied to the Focus and the results have been mixed.

 

You can talk about much higher ATP's all day long, but if volume falls enough less money will be made and that is a fact.

 

You would think Escape would be down if everyone was waiting on the new one, but it seems that the introduction of the new one hasn't hurt the current ones sales at all. It had another impressive month.

This is the interesting view on this site. People were saying prior to the 2011 release, that the 2010 Mustang (with incentives) wasn't selling well because people were waiting for the 2011 powertrains. Now people are saying the 2011 Escape is selling well because of incentives and people aren't waiting for the 2012. I know these are different vehicle categories and different customer bases. But always interesting to see people flip-flop their reasoning on why something may be or not be selling well.

 

And no, this wasn't directed at you 2005Explorer.

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Well let's hope the same thing doesn't happen when the new Escape shows up. I know a lot of you think I am crazy to think that the new Escape might not be as successful as the current one, but Ford is applying the same formula to the Escape that they have applied to the Focus and the results have been mixed.

 

You can talk about much higher ATP's all day long, but if volume falls enough less money will be made and that is a fact.

 

You would think Escape would be down if everyone was waiting on the new one, but it seems that the introduction of the new one hasn't hurt the current ones sales at all. It had another impressive month.

 

When you are selling $29,000 Escape Limited models for $21,000, and Bill Brown Ford says they have something like 75 in stock at the price, there is no way Ford is going to sell premium priced 2013 Escapes at this sales rate that present Escape is going at. In Ford's defense, I doubt if Ford has a great profit margin on this outgoing Escape model with all the incentives on it plus high percentage fleet sales. Ford may only sell 12,000-15,000 2013 Escapes/month, but that will be with minimal incentives and it will be a more premium vehicle and more retail oriented and less fleet dependent than present, dated Escape.

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Classic F-150 massive profit generating 47,740 sales awesome, Ford's No 2 best seller in November the old boxy Escape still USA's No1 best selling SUV this year with 21,823 sales will struggle sales wise to match these numbers with boring dull shaped new set of clothes in the future.

 

Brand spanking new to the market Focus struggling with 11,000 sales fails to impress.

Edited by Ford Jellymoulds
The 2012 F-150 is not a Classic.
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And Ford's marketing on the Focus has been particularly awful.

Marketing of the Focus has been all over the TV the last couple months around here. Would appear to me they are pushing it quite hard. But they are sitting collecting dust on my local dealers lot.

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Marketing of the Focus has been all over the TV the last couple months around here. Would appear to me they are pushing it quite hard. But they are sitting collecting dust on my local dealers lot.

 

I am aware of no major marketing push for the Focus alone, outside of the unsuccessful Doug campaign on YouTube.

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Marketing of the Focus has been all over the TV the last couple months around here. Would appear to me they are pushing it quite hard. But they are sitting collecting dust on my local dealers lot.

 

 

Yep, I make it a point to look at prep area of Ford dealer when taking my Ford in for service, and this month prep areas were full of Escapes, Fusions, Explorers, Edges, and very few Focuses. So not surprised by monthly sales figures. Focus will get its day in the sun, but it's months away IMO. Not this winter for sure unless Ford goes crazy with incentives which I seriously doubt.

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I am aware of no major marketing push for the Focus alone, outside of the unsuccessful Doug campaign on YouTube.

It's been pushed so much, my 15yr old daughter who knows I'm a Ford guy, has asked me about the new Focus she's been seeing all over TV and how it parks itself.

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11k Focus? Goodness.

 

Escape, Explorer and Edge all looking good. Fusion had another 19k month.

 

MKX inched up over 2k, every other Lincoln is down.

I hate to see 11K of Focus selling. But in terms of economics, the demond curve is a down-slope curve for Focus. So if you want to charge at high price, you have to reduce the quantity. This kind of manupilation of quantity and price can help Ford get maximized profit. Well, economics theory sometime is really not that make sense, but every firm use that down-slope curve to maximize the profit. Ford is just one of them. Based on that, I am happy, because what Ford is doing is to maximize the long turn value of the company.

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