Ford Motor Company Reports May U.S. Sales
* Ford's O'Connor encouraged by higher retail demand and recent economic news * Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator pace company's record-setting SUV sales * Volvo and Land Rover set new May sales records * Ford sets second quarter North American production plan at 1 million units and third quarter plan at 810,000 units
DEARBORN, Mich., June 3 -- U.S. customers purchased or leased 327,666 cars and trucks from Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Jaguar, Volvo, and Land Rover dealers in May, down 0.7 percent compared with a year ago. Truck sales were 7.5 percent higher, while car sales were down 13.3 percent. Sales to individual retail customers were up 6.9 percent, while sales to fleet customers declined 18.5 percent.
Year-to-date, the company's sales were 1.44 million, down 1.9 percent compared with the same period a year ago.
"We're encouraged by the level of consumer demand in the month of May as well as incoming economic data," said Jim O'Connor, Ford group vice president, North America Marketing, Sales, and Service. "Although the U.S. economy is still in a period of slow growth, we believe the tax cut package and higher consumer spending will help to accelerate economic growth before the year is over.
"May sales were stronger than most forecasts," said O'Connor. "About 1.6 million customers purchased a new car or truck in May -- the highest for any month since August 2002. After that, you have to go back to October 2001 to find a higher sales month."
The all-new Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, which debuted in June 2002, paced the company to a new May SUV sales record. Expedition sales were 19,182 (up 46 percent compared with a year ago) and Navigator posted record sales of 4,087 (up 169 percent). Two more new SUVs, Lincoln Aviator and Volvo XC90, helped increase the company's total SUV sales to 92,540, eclipsing the previous May record (81,259) set in 2001. Aviator sales were the highest since the all-new mid-size SUV was introduced.
Ford, the best-selling brand of cars and trucks in America, reported May sales of 272,960, essentially equal to a year ago. Ford dealers reported higher sales for the entire range of "No Boundaries" sport utility vehicles, including record May sales for the Ford Escape. Sales for the Ford F-Series, America's best-selling vehicle, were 1.4 percent higher than a year ago. Ford Mustang sales were 16,266, up 14 percent from a year ago.
Lincoln sales rose 17 percent from a year ago on the strength of record SUV sales. Aviator and Navigator combined for May sales of 6,880, four times higher than last year's sales for Navigator alone and the highest SUV sales ever delivered by the Lincoln franchise in a single month. Mercury sales were 31 percent lower than a year ago reflecting lower fleet deliveries and the impact of discontinued models (Cougar and Villager).
Volvo dealers reported record May sales of 13,120, up 64 percent from a year ago. May was the seventh month in a row of higher sales at Volvo -- a streak that started with the introduction of the XC90. In May, XC90 sales were 3,792 -- the highest sales month so far for Volvo's award-winning sport utility vehicle.
Land Rover dealers also reported record May sales of 3,190, up 6 percent from a year ago, reflecting higher sales of the all-new Range Rover, the flagship of Land Rover's fleet. May was the third month in a row of record Land Rover sales.
The company revised its second quarter North American production plan upward by 10,000 units. The company now plans to produce 1 million vehicles in the second quarter compared with 1.175 million in the second quarter 2002. In the third quarter, the company plans to produce 810,000 vehicles compared with 951,000 in the third quarter 2002.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY MAY 2003 U.S. SALES
May Month % May CYTD %
2003 2002 Change 2003 2002 Change
Sales By Brand
Ford 272,960 273,891 -0.3 1,206,463 1,221,018 -1.2
Mercury 18,092 26,348 -31.3 82,158 102,400 -19.8
Lincoln 15,478 13,224 17.0 62,167 58,402 6.4
Jaguar 4,826 5,416 -10.9 19,475 27,246 -28.5
Volvo 13,120 8,021 63.6 54,183 43,013 26.0
Land Rover 3,190 3,003 6.2 14,471 14,657 -1.3
Total Ford
Motor Company 327,666 329,903 -0.7 1,438,917 1,466,736 -1.9
Memo: Cars and
Trucks
Cars 112,659 129,912 -13.3 517,576 548,515 -5.6
Trucks 215,007 199,991 7.5 921,341 918,221 0.3
Total Ford
Motor Company 327,666 329,903 -0.7 1,438,917 1,466,736 -1.9
Information Only
(Not Included Above)
TH!NK Neighbor 0 579 978 1,079
FORD BRAND MAY 2003 U.S. SALES
May Month % May CYTD %
2003 2002 Change 2003 2002 Change
Crown Victoria 8,083 6,518 24.0 35,682 34,172 4.4
Taurus 26,131 32,292 -19.1 140,494 133,892 4.9
Focus 22,636 23,289 -2.8 100,943 94,863 6.4
Thunderbird 2,387 2,034 17.4 8,087 9,424 -14.2
Mustang 16,266 14,255 14.1 64,943 59,261 9.6
Escort 1,920 6,706 -71.4 11,193 28,709 -61.0
Total Ford Cars 77,423 85,094 -9.0 361,342 360,321 0.3
Escape 16,061 13,838 16.1 64,059 56,461 13.5
Explorer 35,423 34,136 3.8 147,201 157,566 -6.6
Expedition 19,182 13,175 45.6 72,657 59,634 21.8
Excursion 2,404 2,197 9.4 9,793 12,921 -24.2
Econoline/Club Wagon 16,514 16,109 2.5 71,478 68,754 4.0
Windstar 11,676 14,489 -19.4 57,665 63,767 -9.6
Ranger 18,151 19,647 -7.6 91,845 93,809 -2.1
F-Series 75,591 74,520 1.4 328,134 344,704 -4.8
Heavy Trucks 535 686 -22.0 2,289 3,081 -25.7
Total Ford Trucks 195,537 188,797 3.6 845,121 860,697 -1.8
Total Ford Brand 272,960 273,891 -0.3 1,206,463 1,221,018 -1.2
LINCOLN AND MERCURY BRAND MAY 2003 U.S. SALES
May Month % May CYTD %
2003 2002 Change 2003 2002 Change
Grand Marquis 7,957 8,890 -10.5 35,412 31,832 11.2
Sable 5,886 10,654 -44.8 27,148 39,842 -31.9
Cougar 0 1,745 -100.0 2,024 6,237 -67.5
Total Mercury Cars 13,843 21,289 -35.0 64,584 77,911 -17.1
Town Car 5,422 6,650 -18.5 22,895 25,216 -9.2
LS 3,176 3,383 -6.1 14,137 16,190 -12.7
Continental 0 1,477 -100.0 280 6,051 -95.4
Total Lincoln Cars 8,598 11,510 -25.3 37,312 47,457 -21.4
Total Mercury
and Lincoln Cars 22,441 32,799 -31.6 101,896 125,368 -18.7
Mountaineer 4,249 3,451 23.1 17,574 17,834 -1.5
Villager 0 1,608 -100.0 0 6,655 -100.0
Total Mercury Trucks 4,249 5,059 -16.0 17,574 24,489 -28.2
Navigator 4,087 1,522 168.5 14,513 10,214 42.1
Aviator 2,793 NA NA 10,189 NA NA
Blackwood 0 192 -100.0 153 731 -79.1
Total Lincoln Trucks 6,880 1,714 301.4 24,855 10,945 127.1
Total Mercury
and Lincoln Trucks 11,129 6,773 64.3 42,429 35,434 19.7
Total Mercury
and Lincoln Vehicles 33,570 39,572 -15.2 144,325 160,802 -10.2
Total Lincoln Brand 15,478 13,224 17.0 62,167 58,402 6.4
Total Mercury Brand 18,092 26,348 -31.3 82,158 102,400 -19.8
JAGUAR BRAND MAY 2003 U.S. SALES
May Month % May CYTD %
2003 2002 Change 2003 2002 Change
XJ 930 801 16.1 2,386 3,594 -33.6
S-TYPE 1,388 1,246 11.4 5,965 5,820 2.5
X-TYPE 2,223 2,961 -24.9 9,900 16,171 -38.8
XK 285 408 -30.1 1,224 1,661 -26.3
Total Jaguar 4,826 5,416 -10.9 19,475 27,246 -28.5
VOLVO BRAND MAY 2003 U.S. SALES
May Month % May CYTD %
2003 2002 Change 2003 2002 Change
S40 1,001 1,062 -5.7 5,835 5,744 1.6
V40 236 200 18.0 1,381 1,114 24.0
S60 3,547 3,092 14.7 15,046 16,339 -7.9
S70 0 0 NA 0 0 NA
V70 1,394 759 83.7 5,170 4,411 17.2
V70 XC 1,359 1,418 -4.2 7,172 7,433 -3.5
C70 392 369 6.2 1,605 1,565 2.6
XC90 3,792 NA NA 12,148 NA NA
S80 1,399 1,121 24.8 5,826 6,407 -9.1
Total Volvo 13,120 8,021 63.6 54,183 43,013 26.0
LAND ROVER BRAND MAY 2003 U.S. SALES
May Month % May CYTD %
2003 2002 Change 2003 2002 Change
Range Rover 836 147 468.7 3,718 2,036 82.6
Discovery 1,461 1,453 0.6 6,647 6,593 0.8
Freelander 893 1,403 -36.4 4,106 6,028 -31.9
Total Land Rover 3,190 3,003 6.2 14,471 14,657 -1.3
