Ford’s April U.S. Sales Mirror Industry: Trucks Strong, Cars Weak

Utilities and pickups are driving U.S. sales, and it’s no exception at Ford, which posted its best April results in a decade.

The automaker recorded total sales of 224,308 units, down 0.6% on a daily basis (one more selling day this year than last), according to WardsAuto data.

Industrywide, the small-CUV sector is expected to account for 20% of volume in April, up a full two points from year-ago, notes Erich Merkle, Ford’s U.S. sales analyst. Spring usually favors cars over SUVs, he says, but not this year.

Fullsize pickups, a sector that usually sees some softening in the spring, also were unusually strong sellers in April, Merkle adds, rising more than a full point of share to an estimated 12% of industry sales.

Ford results mirror the industry trend, says Mark LaNeve, vice president-U.S. marketing, sales and service.

“We saw strong consumer demand in April, especially for pickups,” he says. “F-Series has moved past the quarter-million-sales mark year-to-date – the strongest start for F-Series in a decade, while Ford-brand SUVs are having their best year ever.”

F-Series deliveries topped the 70,000 mark (including medium-duty models) for the second straight month, the first time that’s happened in almost a decade, LaNeve says.

The result included a 7.5% increase in daily sales of light-duty versions of the pickup, a rise attributed in part to the F-Series receiving a top safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which LaNeve says generated considerable social-media buzz and showroom traffic in April.

On the utility side, the Ford brand posted record deliveries in April, despite drops by the Escape (10.6%) and Edge (15.6%). Much of the falloff by those models was picked up on the Lincoln side, where the MKC and MKX gained 45.6% and 86.7%, respectively.

LaNeve points to the Explorer SUV as a particular bright spot, saying it is leading its segment with buyers 25 to 35 years old.

Lincoln sales overall rose 15.7%, with the Navigator (15.1%) among notable gainers.

“There’s lots of good news for the Lincoln brand,” LaNeve says, noting among other highlights the brand is resonating with women, with sales to them growing at twice the rate for the segment overall. More firepower is on the way later this year, he adds, with the planned debuts of the Continental and revamped MKZ sedans.

As with the industry overall, midsize and small cars were April’s weak points. Sales of the midsize Fusion fell 20.0% for the month, with the smaller Focus down 15.0% and the entry-level Fiesta off 28.2%.

Ford says its fleet sales were flat in April, accounting for 32% of its mix this year and last, though its mix skewed slightly more to commercial and government orders than daily rental.

The automaker ended the month with 742,000 vehicles in stock, equal to an 83-day supply. That compares with 754,000, or 80 days, a year ago. Its current inventory total includes 385,000 trucks, 195,000 SUVs and 189,000 cars, a mix LaNeve says he is very comfortable with.

“We feel we’re in good stock position heading into May and June,” he says. “We’re down in cars, up in trucks and vans…but (that’s) where you want it – in the hot part of the market.”

Average transaction prices are up $1,500 for the Ford brand and $1,000 for Lincoln, the automaker says. TrueCar estimates Ford’s incentive costs jumped 24.0% from year-ago, outpacing the industry’s 13.3% rise.

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