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Ford Motor Company was king of the domestic hill for February, according to freshly released figures. New models and increased demand for trucks gave Ford a 43 per cent boost in U.S. sales for the month, adding up to 142,285 units. In comparison, GM moved 141,951 vehicles.
Of course, GM has been slicing models and brands and consolidating operations for some time. Recent executive management positions have shifted and plans to sell or shutdown fours brands are well underway. Saab has been sold to Dutch exotic car maker Spyker. The sale of the Hummer brand to a Chinese company fell through, and the doors have been closed on the division. The last Pontiac has already rolled off the assembly line, and no one is even speaking about Saturn. Those brands alone saw an 86 per cent drop in sales for the General.
This, by the way, was the first time Ford beat GM in sales since 1998. The only other time was in 1970, when the domestics were kings of the world. Over in recall land, Toyota posted an 8.7 per cent drop in sales after suspending sales and bringing thousands of vehicles in for work on accelerator assemblies.
An increasing positive reputation means Ford could be seen as the top automaker for a long time. The company has said its sales of the 2010 Fusion has more than doubled outselling the Focus which was previously Ford’s top model. The 2010 Taurus sales have also doubled and pickup and sport utility vehicles deliveries rose.
“Ford’s future seems bright. Not only have we had sales increases on the 2010 Ford Fusion and 2010 Ford Taurus, we are also seeing increases with the 2010 Ford Transit Connect.” says Chad Todd, sales manager of Annapolis Ford Dealer, Preston Ford. “The 2011 Ford Fiesta along with the slew of newly designed product such as the Focus and Explorer will help Ford increase market share even more.”
The highly anticipated 2011 Ford Fiesta is expected to be a huge hit in the United States where the Fiesta has not been seen in several years. Ford will also be coming out with a new 2011 Ford Super Duty to reach dealers sometime at the end of April or the beginning of May (Dealers are taking orders now). New designs of the 2011 Focus and Explorer will also be coming out later this year.
And don’t forget the iconic Mustang, with orders for the 2011 model already at three times the level experienced for the 2010 version.
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