This morning, Ford released its U.S. sales figures for last month.
Overall, it did well, selling 225,647 vehicles. That translates to a two-percent increase for the month of June.
The Blue Oval’s SUVs had a lot to do with that, particularly the new 2016 Explorer. That and other Ford utility vehicles gave the automaker 64,885 sales and its best June SUV sales numbers since 2002. Explorer sales were up 30 percent for the month of June compared to the same month in 2014. That’s not a big surprise considering dealers had Explorers on their lots for an average of only seven days before selling them.
Ford also moved a lot of vans in June – 21,419, to be exact. That’s a 31-percent upswing compared to last year. The Transit is largely to thank for that.
Even Lincoln, once feared to be nearing the chopping block, had a good June. According to Ford, “Lincoln retail sales increased 20 percent versus a year ago, providing the premium brand with its best June results since 2007. Lincoln MKC continues to build momentum, along with Navigator, which posted a 39 percent sales increase for June.”
Lincoln’s cars, on the other hand, didn’t fare as well. Year-to-date sales of the MKZ and MKS were down nearly 20 percent relative to the same span of time in 2014.
The 2015 Mustang was a sales lot sweetheart, though. Ford sold almost 54 percent more of them last month than it did in June of last year. However, that surge was offset by other Ford cars, with the exception of the Fiesta, posting negative percentage changes.
I would say one oddity on the June sales breakdown sheet is the entry for the F-Series, but I wouldn’t be able to say it with complete conviction.
June sales for the line were down 8.9 percent compared to June of 2014. Year-to-date sales declined 2.4 percent going from 2014 to 2015. Such declines are not entirely shocking because Ford’s had its share of setbacks with the F-150 this year. While it was waiting for its Dearborn and Kansas City F-150 plants to get up to full speed, it was losing fleet sales to Chevy. Then the Blue Oval ran into a frame shortage from its supplier.
The current Super Duty lineup is nearing the end of its run, too. It would make sense that contractors are holding off on buying a 2016 SD if they know a completely redesigned and lighter one is coming next year. (We all might get a chance to see its new looks soon.)
There are two silver linings here. One is that, in Ford’s words, “The all-new F-150 is turning twice as fast on dealer lots than the industry average for half-ton pickups.” The other is that the average transaction price for an F-Series in June was north of $44,000 – an all-time high. That just goes to show the appeal of “Cowboy Cadillacs.”
Source: Ford-trucks
