Ford Keeps at It in Europe, Posts Tiny Increase

In a time when the consumer interest for new cars seems to have slowed down a bit in Europe, all increases, regardless of their size, is a positive aspect. Ford, one of the biggest non-local players on the European market is continuing the mild rise of past months, announcing today what it calls improved performance.

In the fourth month of the year, Ford sold 101,900 vehicles in its main 19 European markets, a number that represents an increase of 0.7 percent compared to the same month of last year. The volume was sustained in April by both the established nameplates, as well as by the newly introduced Focus and C-MAX.

“We’re fortunate to have successful new products in the new Focus and C-MAX, which helped Ford achieve a solid April,” said when announcing the results Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe.

“More customers are recognising that cars like the C-MAX and Focus offer not only high levels of quality and comfort, but also feature customer-focused technologies often only found in far more expensive premium cars.”

Things, however, don't look so positive when looked at from another perspective. Since the beginning of the year, Ford sold 454,300 vehicles in the main markets, a number that is 38,600 (7.8 percent) lower than the one recorded for the first four months of 2010.

As a matter a fact, Ford is down 1.9 percent on the entire continent, not only in the main 19 markets. Europe had appetite only for 540,400 vehicles in the first four months of 2011.