F-Series Surpasses 2012 Sales; Innovations Help Ford Expand Truck Leadership Over Competitors

• Ford F-Series sales have now surpassed 645,316 units, the total number of trucks sold in 2012; this year on average, one F-Series pickup sells every 42 seconds

• F-Series is on track to be the best-selling vehicle in the United States for 32 straight years, and the best-selling truck for 37 straight years

• Ford continues to outpace the competition, growing sales gap over the Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 19, 2013 - Ford F-Series marked an important milestone today, with calendar year-to-date sales already surpassing full-year 2012 truck sales. F-Series sales have now exceeded 645,316 trucks, and are on pace to set the highest yearly sales total since 2006.

In October, F-Series sales of 63,803 trucks were up 13 percent, the sixth-straight month above the 60,000-vehicle mark. The last time Ford sold more than 60,000 trucks for six consecutive months was 2006.

“If our truck business continues at this rate through the end of the year, we will reach 60,000 F-Series sales for eight straight months, putting us on par with 2006, before the economic downturn,” said Erich Merkle, Ford sales analyst.

F-Series continues to outpace the segment, even as key competitors have launched new products, according to Doug Scott, Ford truck group marketing manager.

“Through October, our leadership margin is nearly 220,000 units over Chevrolet Silverado and 67,000 over Silverado and GMC Sierra combined,” said Scott. “F-Series has outsold Ram by more than 330,000 units in the first 10 months of 2013, almost 50,000 more trucks than the gap a year ago.”

“Despite new entries from our competitors, truck consumers continue to vote us No. 1 – day in and day out – with their checkbooks,” said Scott. “In 2013, F-Series had the highest owner loyalty, and we’ve won the R.L. Polk Automotive Loyalty award in the mid- and full-size pickup category 15 times in the last 17 years.”

Innovation, Economic Recovery Drive F-Series Sales

Ford F-Series sales in key markets leading the country’s economic turnaround – including the Northwest, West and Southeast – are outpacing the nearest competitor by 50 percent. F-Series innovations such as EcoBoost^® fuel-saving engine technology and the MyFord Touch^® connectivity system are helping Ford expand its truck leadership.

Ford’s new F-150 STX value model is targeted at customers hit hard by the economic downturn but returning to work in the housing, energy and other markets that are seeing strong growth. STX sales quickly increased to 10 percent of all F-150 sales in 2013 from 3 percent in 2012. At the other end of the market, a segment Ford pioneered a decade ago, high-end F-Series trucks now lead with more than 50 percent share.

Western Housing, Tech Growth

F-Series is outselling its nearest competitor by more than 65 percent in western markets, where California is experiencing rapid real estate growth and the technology industry is making Oregon and Washington two of the country’s fastest-growing states.

• From 2008 to 2013, California has sold more F-Series vehicles than any other state except Texas
• Fuel economy resonates more in the West; 45 percent of customers in northwestern states order EcoBoost compared to the 38 percent average
• MyFord Touch was added to F-150 in 2012, and resonates particularly well in the Northwest

Central Natural Gas Boom

In the past five years, truck sales in the upper Midwest and Plains states represent the most significant percentage growth in F-Series trucks; this growth is tied mainly to expansion of domestic energy exploration and the renewable energy industry.

• From 2008 to 2013, F-Series sales grew 156.8 percent in North Dakota – the company’s fastest-growing state by percentage – quadrupling the growth of No. 2, Texas. Montana is No. 3 at 121 percent and South Dakota is No. 4 at 112.5 percent
• Natural gas-powered Ford vehicle sales expected to rise 25 percent this year
• The energy sector, along with housing, is driving F-Series sales in the traditionally strong Texas market, with growth of 27 percent since 2008, to 500,000 trucks

The 2014 Ford F-150 is on sale now, featuring the new F-150 Tremor, the world’s first EcoBoost-powered sport truck, and a new compressed natural gas prep option for customers to convert their F-150 to run on clean-burning, inexpensive CNG.

Source: Ford.com