Ford Boosts UK Market Lead in 2012

Ford extended its UK market lead in 2012 while recording 36 consecutive years of car sales leadership and 47 years of UK commercial vehicle (CV) sales leadership.

Ford's full-year car sales beat overall UK market growth, increasing by 6.0 per cent in 2012, compared with 2011.  Other highlights of the official full-year 2012 figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) include:

•     Ford is the number one UK car brand for 36 successive years.
•     Ford commercial vehicles have been the UK's favourite for 47 years.
•     Ford stretches its lead over its closest rival by almost 60 per cent.
•     Ford Fiesta is the UK best seller for the fourth successive year.
•     Ford Focus tops UK sales in November and December.
•     Ford Transit maintains its clear lead in CV sales.

According to the official SMMT figures full year car sales in the UK in 2012 were up 5.3 per cent at 2,044,609 registrations, compared with 2011.  Ford sold 281,917 cars in the UK last year, up from 265,894 in 2011.

Ford Fiesta was the UK car sales leader again in 2012, having taken the position from the Ford Focus in 2009, with 109,265 registrations up from 96,112 in 2011.  Ford Fiesta also increased its market share to 5.4 per cent, from 5.0 per cent in 2011.

Other Ford models with increased sales in 2012, compared with 2011, included the Ford Ka, Ford Focus, Ford Kuga, Ford Mondeo and Ford S-MAX, while the new Ford B-MAX has proved immediately popular with 3,199 sales recorded already, since its October launch.

Mark Ovenden, Ford Britain managing director, said:  "Ford beat overall market growth in 2012 and extended its sales lead in a fiercely competitive market thanks to the launches of award-winning vehicles and technologies and the unrivalled strength of our dealer network.

“More people choose Ford over any other vehicle brand in the UK and as we face similar, difficult market conditions in 2013 we will look to satisfy the needs of our private and business customers by strengthening our vehicle range still further and providing the best sales and service offering in our dealerships."

Ford Transit has led the UK CV sector from its launch in 1965 and Ford’s CV market leadership remains unchallenged with a 21.6 per cent share for the full year 2012.  Ford medium commercials secured 30.7 per cent of the segment in 2012, up from 26.8 per cent in 2011.

The official figures released by the SMMT today show that in December UK car sales were up by 3.7 per cent to 123,557 units, compared with December 2011.  Ford car sales increased 6.6 per cent to 15,656, up from 14,689 in December 2011 and Ford's overall share of car sales was 12.7 per cent for the month, up from 12.3 per cent in December 2011.

The Ford Focus was again the UK’s best seller in December, repeating its November result.  Critical acclaim for the new Fiesta suggests that it will reclaim its clear No 1 sales spot in 2013 and it enters the year alongside the ingenious Ford    B-MAX with both cars available with the award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, which also features in the Ford Focus, the Ford C-MAX and the Ford Grand C-MAX.