Ford has sold more than 100,000 commercial vehicles (CV) for the year-to-date, & we still have December to go.

Ford has sold more than 100,000 commercial vehicles (CV) for the year-to-date, the first time sales have passed six figures in a full year since 1989.

Ford CV sales for November were at the highest-ever level for more than 25 years, and more than double those of its nearest rival. Ford is on track to record its highest-ever commercial vehicle sales volume for 2015, following a record year in 1989 at 104,721 sales.

2015 marks the Ford Transit’s 50^th year of market leadership, and the first full year of sales for the expanded Ford Transit range since the Transit Courier was launched in mid-2014.

The Ford Transit’s 50^th anniversary has been celebrated throughout the year, with special reference to August 9, 1965 when the first Transit rolled off the production line at the Ford Langley plant. More than eight million Transit and Transit Custom models have been built since then, which lined up end-to-end, would circumnavigate the globe. More than 2.5 million of these have been sold in the UK alone.

Ford Transit and Ford Ranger sales are the highest on record for 2015, while Fiesta Van sales are at the highest volume since 1997. Transit Connect sales are also at their highest level since 2008.

The Ford Transit and Ford Transit Custom alone outsell all but four vehicle models in Britain, and combined Transit nameplate models are ranked third in UK total vehicle sales for the year to date (end of November).

Andy Barratt, chairman and managing director, Ford of Britain, said: “The Ford Transit has been a staple commodity for Britain for half a century, and our commercial vehicle line up has never been stronger. Four commercial vehicles now carry the iconic Transit nameplate, and, together with Ranger and Fiesta Van, are on track to deliver our most successful year ever for CV sales.

"With the introduction of our Euro Stage 6 engines next year, designed, developed and built here in the UK, the Ford commercial vehicle range will be among the cleanest vehicles on the road today.”

Vauxhall’s Brit-built Vivaro won the award for best medium panel van at this year’s Commercial Fleet Awards.

Vauxhall’s Brit-built Vivaro won the award for best medium panel van at this year’s Commercial Fleet Awards, held at The International Centre, Telford on Thursday.

Judges described it as “an excellent fleet package”. They commented: “Vauxhall took a risk when it completely re-engineered this van, but it has paid off with excellent build quality, a great driving experience, good fuel economy, improved payload and an impressive load length. It is also strong on safety technology and comes with a solid three-year/100,000-mile warranty.”

Hosted by television presenter Gaby Roslin, the award was presented to Richard Collier, Vauxhall’s National Commercial Vehicle and B2B Sales Manager, in front of over 400 industry figures, all recognising and celebrating the critical role the industry plays in keeping British business moving.

“We’re thrilled to see the Vauxhall Vivaro honoured, once again, for being the best in its class,” said Richard Collier. “Built at our Luton plant, its excellent practicality, efficiency and comfort makes it the perfect choice for commercial vehicle operators.”

The win is the second in recent months, with the Vivaro also taking Fleet Van of the Year at this year’s Motor Transport Awards. The medium-sized van is a popular choice for companies including BT Fleet, British Gas and Homeserve.

Volkswagen Commercial year to the end of August sales shows a decline in numbers, Crafter and T6 up.

• Inconsistent trends on the markets
• New T6 with significant growth of 4.6 per cent

Up to the end of August 2015, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 285,000 urban delivery vans, transport vehicles and pickups to customers globally. Sales of the brand are at a similar level as last year (January to August 2014: 287,000, -0.8 per cent).

On the markets, in Western Europe the brand achieved a growth of 0.5 per cent with 189,000 deliveries (2014: 188,100). 

The United Kingdom showed significant signs of growth and sales of the brand rose there by 15.3 per cent to 32,700 units (28,300). In Germany, deliveries declined, because of the model change of the Caddy and the T series, by 5.1 per cent to 72,500 units (76,300).

In Eastern Europe deliveries to the end of August slowed by 23.61 per cent to 19,000 units (24,900). 

The Russian market dropped by 56.6 per cent to 3,700 units. In the Middle East more vehicles were handed over to customers, in fact 23,150 units (15,900) which is an increase of 45.4 per cent. Sales in the Turkish market were 20,600 vehicles (13,600; + 51.4 per cent).

In South America, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 24,300 vehicles (26,500; -8.3 per cent). In Brazil 8,100 vehicles were delivered (12,400, -34.4 per cent). The Argentinian market rose by 12.2 per cent to 12,700 deliveries (11,300).

By model, shipped worldwide were:

• 112,600 vehicles of the T model range (107,700; +4.6 per cent)
• 31,200 vehicles of the Crafter series (30,400; +2.8 per cent)
• 92,200 vehicles of the Caddy model range (97,000; -5.0 per cent).
• 48,800 vehicles of the Amarok series (50,500; -3.4 per cent).

USA - Over half of commercial van sales in the US in the first six months of 2015 bought a Ford van.

• More than half of commercial van customers in the United States in the first six months of 2015 bought a Ford van – Transit, Transit Connect or E-Series
• Ford is the fastest-growing brand in the commercial van market, driving 80 percent of the segment’s growth in the first half of 2015, according to Ford analysis of new vehicle registrations from IHS Automotive
• Top-selling commercial van in 47 states is a Ford van

Growing businesses are increasingly turning to Ford commercial vans, making Ford the largest and fastest-growing manufacturer of commercial vans in the United States in the first half of 2015, according to Ford analysis of IHS new vehicle registrations through June.

Ford vans have been America’s best-selling commercial vans for 36 years, helping businesses transport equipment to job sites, shuttle passengers to their destinations and more. 

The new Transit, which went on sale just last summer, can be converted to serve as emergency response vehicles, food trucks and mobile dog grooming studios.

Businesses can choose from 58 vehicle configurations with the introduction of a dual sliding door option on the 2016 Transit van, meaning the vehicle with the most configurations in its class just got even more flexible.

“Transit customers appreciate the van’s flexibility because it can enable them to right-size their vehicle to the needs of their vocation.” says Yaro Hetman, Ford brand manager for Transit, Transit Connect and E-Series. 

“There are 12 ship-through upfitters located within 30 miles of Kansas City Assembly Plant, making it easy and fast for customers to design their Transit vans to serve their business requirements.”

Transit sales success has led Ford to capture 56 percent of the U.S. commercial van market as of June 2015 – up from 48 percent in June 2014, according to IHS new commercial vehicle registration data.

Commercial van sales are increasing as the U.S. economy is growing, and Ford vans drove 80 percent of growth in the segment in the first half of the year, according to Ford analysis of IHS data.

Ford commercial van sales increased 28 percent January through June, while the segment overall grew 11 percent.

Ford vans are top sellers in 47 states, according to Ford analysis of IHS data. Those 47 states represent 99.09% of the U.S. population.

Ford Transit became the best-selling full-size van in America just six months after it went on sale, replacing America’s best-selling van for 35 years, E-Series, first sold in 1961 as Ford Econoline. 

For the 2015 model year, Ford produced more than 100,000 Transit vans, wagons, cutaways and chassis cabs at Kansas City Assembly Plant.

Ford Transit Connect, America’s small commercial van pioneer, has been on sale since 2009 and has reigned as the country’s best-seller in the segment for the last five years. 

Transit Connect leads the small commercial van segment with 69 percent share and is on pace to have another record year, with commercial sales up 43 percent in the first half of 2015.