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The last year and a half has been dismal at best for Detroit's automakers. General Motors was the last to post a sales gain, a measly 2.1% back in January 2008. Chrysler was next with an even more measly 1% in December 2007, and Ford was last with a ridiculously measly 0.4% in November 2007. Well, the streak has broken, at least for Ford, as they posted a sales increase of 2.3% for July 2009 versus the same month last year. A big gain? No, but considering the way things have been going, even a small increase is cause for celebration.
In a brand-by-brand breakdown, Volvo was the stand-out star, with a massive 25.7% increase over last year. This was swiftly balanced out by Lincoln's poor sales, however, as they had a 24.3% decrease. The Ford brand improved by 2.9% and Mercury was up 6.6%. When all was said and done, this resulted in a net 2.3% increase. A lot of the heavy lifting was done by only three models. The 2010 Ford Escape sold just over 20,000 units, a 94% increase over last year; the Fusion was next with 17,610 units, a 66% increase; and the Focus managed just shy of 22,00 units, a 43% increase. Their sale of hybrid models also posted a huge increase: 323%.
Most of these sales are attributable to the desirability of Ford's new lineup, which is more fuel efficient than its previous offerings. Also, the Blue Oval has a very positive public image thanks in large part to their not taking any U.S. government bailout money. Lastly, the start of the federal government's Cash For Clunkers program at the end of last month provided a small boost to sales, but the program was started too late in the month (just last week) to have a big impact.
Let's hope that Ford can keep it up, because sales increases and more demand equal more jobs and more money in the economy, both of which are desperately needed.
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