Ford Still Ohio Vehicle Sales Leader in 1997
22 April 1998
Ford Still Ohio Vehicle Sales Leader in 1997
DETROIT, April 22 -- Ohio drivers chose to buy more Ford
F-Series trucks than any other vehicle, making it the best-selling
vehicle -- car or truck -- in the state in 1997.
According to R.L Polk's 1997 vehicle registrations, Ford had five of the
top 10 best-selling vehicles in the state. The Ford F-Series was number one
with approximately 31,000 vehicle registrations.
In 1997, Ohio drivers registered about 185,500 new Ford, Lincoln and
Mercury brand cars and trucks. Ford Motor Company's Ford Division had about
156,400 registrations, of which 56,600 were cars and 99,800 were trucks and
minivans. Ford Division has 170 dealers in the state.
Lincoln-Mercury Division had approximately 29,100 registrations in the
state, of which 21,200 were cars and 7,900 were trucks and minivans. Lincoln-
Mercury Division has 114 dealers in Ohio, many of which are shared with Ford
Division dealers in the state.
In the past year, Ford significantly contributed to Ohio's economy in
several other areas. The company paid more than $37 million in real estate
and personal (machinery and equipment) property taxes to the state for 1997.
In addition, Ford purchased about $3.4 billion in production components from
190 Ohio suppliers.
Known informally as Ford's second home, Ohio has the second-largest Ford
presence outside of Michigan and is one of Ohio's largest private-sector
employers. The company last year paid its 18,841 Ohio-based employees
$1.2 billion in salaries and wages.
Ford employees work at 11 manufacturing facilities and administrative
offices in the state. The manufacturing and assembly facilities are in
Lorain, Avon Lake, Brook Park, Walton Hills, Maumee, Lima, Sharonville,
Batavia and Sandusky.
The company's activities range from the sales of vehicles, auto parts and
services and financial services, to steel and plastic stamping operations, to
the production of iron castings, to the manufacture of engines of numerous
configurations and displacements, to the manufacture of transmissions and the
assembly of cars and trucks.
Ford Motor Credit Company had an exceptionally good year in 1997 as well.
Ohio drivers chose Ford Credit to finance 80,270 vehicles. That translates
into $1.3 billion worth of vehicle loans. Ford Credit has 250 employees
working in five branches in the state.
Finally, Ohio employees, aided by gifts from the Ford Motor Company Fund,
supported state charities with contributions exceeding $2.6 million in 1997.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company
