Mustang Tops Porsche 911 in Sports Car Sales – In Germany

Ford Mustang sales are on a tear in Europe, especially in sports-car-centric Germany where the American-built pony car in March surpassed all other sports coupes in sales for the month.

“Germans have fallen in love with the Mustang,” says Wolfgang Kopplin, managing director-Ford Germany. “Driving a Mustang GT on the autobahn is a one-of-a-kind experience for people who love cars.”

The Ford Mustang claimed the top spot in the sports-car segment in Germany with 780 sales in March, according to the German Federal Motor Transport Authority. Ford sold 1,823 Mustangs in Germany in the first quarter of 2016. The Mustang is priced at €35,000-€40,000 ($39,900-$45,600) in that market.

The authority says the Mustang competes with 40 sports cars in the segment, ranging from Aston Martin and Ferrari supercars to the Hyundai Veloster and Toyota GT86.

Its nearest competitor in German sales was the home-country favorite Porsche 911 with 752 deliveries in March, followed by the Audi TT with 708. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe (532 sales) and Porsche’s mid-engined Boxster (442) rounded out the top five, the German agency reports.

The Mustang was completely redesigned for the ’15 model year with an eye toward global markets, with independent rear suspension and fuel-efficient, small-displacement turbocharged engines. Ford has sold more than 16,000 Mustangs across Europe since it went on sale there last July, with a several-month waiting list in nearly all markets, Ford says.

The formula also is working on the home turf: U.S. sales jumped 48% in 2015 compared with the previous year. Total U.S. sales of 122,349 Mustangs in 2015 easily outpaced the rival Chevrolet Camaro, which posted 77,502 sales for the year, down 10%.

So far this year, Mustang sales in the U.S. are keeping pace with last year, up 1.1% with 30,136 sales through March, while Chevy has sold 18,581 Camaros, up 7.3% for the quarter.

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