Official figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that without the benefit of the scrappage incentive scheme that boosted sales in March 2010, total Ford car sales of 52,829 were down from 64,498 in March 2010 and Ford's share of total car sales was 14.4 percent, down from 15.6 percent in March 2010. By contrast, the company’s retail car market share in March was 14.0 percent, 0.9 percentage points up.
The Fiesta was the UK’s number one seller in March and for the first quarter, with the Focus coming second. The C-MAX improved both its sales and its market share substantially, while Ford’s dominance of the CV market, where the Ford Transit alone takes more than a quarter of medium CV sales, has been further enhanced through 2011. Total Ford CV sales increased in March 2011 from 10,607 to 12,622, compared with the same month of last year, while for the first quarter they have increased from 15,879 to 20,668.
"March has actually bettered expectations with the overall market up 5.9 per cent on 2010, excluding scrappage volume. However, the market is intensely competitive and it has been important to maintain the right balance between sales/share and business profitability in this crucial sales month. Ford's outstanding vehicle range has helped achieve this balance with new models such as the new Ford C-MAX, joined in March by the exciting new Ford Focus, contributing to a significant growth in retail share," said Nigel Sharp, Ford of Britain managing director.
"Ford has scored important sales gains right across its vehicle range in March, including significant uplifts in the Ford commercial vehicle range, where our already dominant medium commercials have extended the sales lead over our nearest rivals,” added Jon Wellsman, Ford of Britain sales director.
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