UK SALES JANUARY - Ford continues to dominate, month in month out, decade in decade out.

Ford, the UK’s market leader, is maintaining strong momentum into 2016 with increased sales across all market sectors, compared with January 2015.

Highlights of the January sales figures issued today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) include:

• Ford’s sales lead increased across all sectors.
• Ford CV sales are more than double those of its nearest rival.
• Fiesta is the UK best seller; Transit Custom and Transit, 1st and 2nd in CVs.
• Ford celebrates 50 years of UK CV market leadership and is also Europe’s most popular CV brand.
• Fiesta has been the UK best seller for seven consecutive years and Europe’s leading small car for four years.

Andy Barratt, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said:  "Ford’s strong sales start to 2016 builds on the momentum evident in 2015 and is a direct result of continued investment in exciting products and industry-leading technologies.

“This is being recognised by outstanding media coverage for the new Focus RS and it is celebrated in our new ‘Unlearn’ marketing campaign that challenges consumers to take a fresh look at the brand, using the Mustang, Edge and GT as prime examples of bold and surprising new models."

According to the official SMMT figures, January car sales in the UK were up 2.9 per cent at 169,678 registrations, compared with January 2015.  Ford sold 22,035 cars in January, up 2.6 per cent, compared with January 2015.  Ford’s car sales lead over its nearest rival was 6,773, an increase of 49 per cent, compared with January 2015.

Ford remains the clear leader in retail car sales, which most accurately reflect the preferences of private buyers.  At 13.3 per cent, Ford’s January retail car sales share was 5.4 percentage points ahead of its nearest rival. 

The Ford Fiesta has been the best-selling small car in Europe for four years and the UK best-seller for seven years.  It is the best-seller in the UK by a significant margin with 8,353 sales and a 4.9 per cent market share in January, 3,514 sales and 2.1 percentage points of market share ahead of its nearest competitor.  Fiesta also leads UK retail sales with 4,816 registrations, 2,345 ahead of its nearest rival.

The strength and breadth of the Ford model range is demonstrated by Fiesta (1^st), B-MAX (3^rd), Focus (1^st), C-MAX (1^st), EcoSport (5^th), Kuga (2^nd), Mondeo (2^nd), Galaxy (1^st) and Mustang (3^rd) all featuring near, or at, the top of their segments in January.

UK commercial vehicle sales in January were down 2.2 per cent at 24,291, compared with January 2015.  Sales of Ford CVs were up 0.3 per cent at 6,500, compared with January 2015.  Ford’s CV market share in January was 26.8 per cent, up from 26.1 per cent in January 2015.

Ford is entering its 51^st year of UK CV market leadership and it has been confirmed that in 2015 it was also the most popular CV brand in Europe.

Ford’s fresh and extended CV range is delivering record levels of CV sales with CV registrations more than double those of its nearest rival.  Fiesta Van (1^st), Transit Courier (2^nd), Transit Connect (2^nd), Transit Custom (1^st), Transit (1^st) and Ranger (1^st) are all placed first or second in their respective market segments.