USA SALES MAY - FORD/LINCOLN - Both brands saw sales grow in the month.

• Ford Motor Company’s overall U.S. sales for May 2017 totaled 241,126 vehicles, a 2.2 percent gain compared to last year 
• Retail results declined 0.8 percent, with 158,282 vehicle sales 
• Fleet sales totaled 82,844 vehicles, representing an 8.4 percent gain versus a year ago 
• Ford’s average transaction pricing increased $2,100 last month, significantly outpacing an overall industry increase of $500* 
• Ford F-Series sales of 76,027 pickups increased 12.8 percent last month, for the best May results in 13 years. F-Series also saw a $3,300 increase in average transaction pricing* 
• Ford brand SUVs set May record, with 74,910 vehicles sold – up 4.2 percent versus a year ago 
• Ford Explorer sales increased 20.7 percent, with 22,715 SUVs sold, marking the vehicle’s best May performance in 13 years 
• Ford Expedition sales of 5,758 SUVs were up 13.9 percent last month 
• Ford Edge sales increased 11.0 percent, with 13,752 vehicles sold 
• Lincoln retail sales increased 9.7 percent in May, marking the brand’s 16th straight month of year over-year sales gains

“May marked a standout month for Ford brand SUVs, with a May record 74,910 SUVs sold. Plus, we continued to see strong F-Series performance, with sales and share rising this year, along with average transaction pricing. In May, overall F-Series sales were up double digits and transaction prices grew $3,300 per truck.” Mark LaNeve, vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service

Ford F-Series sales totaled 76,027 trucks. This marks F-Series’ best May sales performance since 2004, with F-Series retail sales up in every region of the U.S. Ford brand SUV sales totaled 74,910 vehicles, marking another record-setting May. 

Growth came from a 21 percent gain in Explorer sales, along with a double-digit increase for both Expedition and Edge. The 2018 Explorer, left, hits Ford dealerships this fall. Ford Expedition sales totaled 5,758 vehicles last month, a 14 percent increase, for the SUV’s best May performance in a decade. The allnew 2018 Expedition, left, goes on sale this fall. 

Lincoln retail sales were up 16 consecutive months in May. Lincoln MKC delivered strong gains, up 17 percent, followed by the all-new Lincoln Continental, with sales of 1,061 cars. The all-new Lincoln Navigator, left, arrives in dealer showrooms later this year. 

  

USA SALES FEBRUARY - FORD/LINCOLN - The combined giant has a record 2nd month of the year.

• Ford brand SUVs post record February results, with 68,820 vehicles sold
• Ford F-Series U.S. sales increase 9 percent versus a year ago, with 65,956 pickups sold
• Lincoln sales increase 9 percent, with gains coming from MKC, MKX and all-new Continental
• Ford Motor Company total U.S. sales of 208,440 vehicles are down 4 percent from a year ago; retail sales are down 3 percent, while fleet sales decline 5 percent

Overall Ford Motor Company U.S. sales totaled 208,440 vehicles in February, a 4 percent decline versus a year ago.

Retail sales of 134,576 vehicles decreased 3 percent, while fleet sales were down 5 percent, with 73,864 vehicles sold. The fleet decline reflects a strong year-ago comparison, with customer orders front-loaded in early 2016.

Overall car sales were down 24 percent, while customers continue to shift to trucks and SUVs.

Ford brand SUV sales totaled 68,820 vehicles – record February sales – up 6 percent versus a year ago. Record Escape sales of 27,637 vehicles and a 48 percent increase in Expedition sales drove the gains.

Ford F-Series was up 9 percent, with 65,956 trucks sold. This represents F-Series’ best sales since 2004, with all-new Super Duty retail gains coming from every region of the country.

“We continue seeing strong consumer demand for the highest-series Super Duty pickups and the all-new F-150 Raptor, plus greater availability of 2017 model year F-150s,” said Mark LaNeve, vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “This drove a $3,600 increase in average transaction prices for F-Series last month alone, Lincoln had a $2,100 increase, ultimately delivering an overall company transaction price increase of $1,900 per vehicle.”

Lincoln sales totaled 8,744 vehicles, a 9 percent increase. Lincoln MKC, up 12 percent, MKX, up 1 percent, and all-new Continental sales of 1,079 cars fueled the growth.

USA SALES JANUARY - FORD/LINCOLN - Sales are growing on the combined brands.

• Ford Motor Company U.S. retail sales of 120,400 vehicles for January represent a 6 percent increase; fleet sales down 13 percent; total sales down 1 percent
• Ford F-Series sales increase 13 percent, with sales of 57,995 trucks; best sales start for F-Series since 2004
• Overall Ford brand SUV sales up 6 percent in January, with retail sales up 11 percent – a record start overall for Ford SUVs
• Lincoln up 22 percent last month on total sales of 8,785 vehicles, with gains coming from MKC, MKX, MKZ and all-new Continental

Ford Motor Company’s U.S. retail sales of 120,400 vehicles are up 6 percent in January, while total sales declined 1 percent.  

Fleet sales of 52,212 vehicles, including daily rental, commercial and government segments, declined 13 percent. The fleet decline reflects a strong year-ago comparison, with fleet customer orders front-loaded at the beginning of 2016.

Ford F-Series sales totaled 57,995 trucks last month, a 13 percent increase, supported by strong retail gains from both F-150 and Super Duty. F-Series was up 19 percent at retail, with gains in every region. January represents the best sales start for F-Series since 2004.

“The new year brought strong consumer demand for F-Series, Lincoln and record SUV sales, especially high-end models,” said Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “This drove near-record company average transaction prices for Ford, up $2,500 versus a year ago and far outpacing the overall January industry increase of $550.”

Retail sales of Ford brand SUVs were up 11 percent last month, driving overall SUV sales up 6 percent, with 53,224 vehicles sold. January marks the best-ever overall start for Ford SUVs.  

Lincoln sales totaled 8,785 vehicles in January, the brand’s best start in a decade.

Strong performance from the all-new Lincoln Continental, with 1,167 cars sold, contributed to the brand’s overall 22 percent increase. Additional contributors included Lincoln MKZ with sales of 2,090 sales – up 7 percent – Lincoln MKC with 1,668 sales – a 16 percent gain – and MKX with 2,928 sales – a 43 percent gain.

Note: Ford is adding additional data to our news release, including stock and fleet percentages. In addition, Ford is reporting both dealer stock and gross stock levels, as some automakers report dealer stock only and do not include inventory in transit to dealers.

Volkswagen celebrates it's commercial vehicle devision topping 50,000 registrations in the year.

• Record UK registrations for the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand
• Over 50,000* vehicles registered by the brand for the first time
• Market share up to over 12 per cent; brand retains number two position
• Substantial increase in Transporter and Caddy volumes

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles produced a fifth consecutive new UK sales record in 2016, registering over 45,000 new vans. 

The latest generation Transporter and Caddy model ranges saw significant sales increases, while the brand’s passenger carriers and campervan registrations took Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ total 2016 registrations to 50,068*, up nearly five per cent on 2015 (47,739). 

This result means the brand has more than doubled its volume since 2009.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also not only maintained but strengthened its number two position in the light commercial vehicles sector, recording a market share of 12.1 per cent.

The multi-award winning Transporter accounted for 22,872 registrations, up over 11 per cent on 2015 (50,533). 8,156 Caddys were registered, down 757 compared to 2016, though Caddy Maxi sales were up over 35 per cent to 6,377, giving total Caddy registrations of 14,533.

Both the Amarok and Crafter models saw small declines in sales as the brand prepares to relaunch the refreshed pick-up and all-new Crafter this year. (3,586 Amarok down from 3,908 in 2015; 7,137 Crafter down from 8,009 in 2015.)

Commenting on the brand’s performance, Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Carl zu Dohna, said: ‘2016 was a really successful year for the brand, with the Transporter and Caddy consolidating their positions in the market after being launched in September 2015. I’m really proud of my team and the Van Centre network for achieving this result.’

He added: ‘I’m delighted that customers are getting to know our latest products and appreciating not only their inherent strengths, but also the after sales support and complete mobility packages which we have put around them. The support we give to our customers to help them choose the right vans and minimise in-life downtime, as well as adding value to our range of products remains extremely important to us.’

*SMMT data. Includes passenger carrying models registered as ‘cars’:

• Passenger carriers include: Caravelle, Transporter Shuttle, Caddy Life, Caddy Maxi Life and Caddy Maxi Camper.
• Transporter registrations include California.
• Registrations include LCV/HCV market up to 6.0T.

END OF YEAR UK - MERCEDES VANS - The commercial arm celebrates 7 years of growth.

• Seventh Consecutive Year Of Growth, 13 Industry Awards And 36,952 New Registrations: 2016 Adds Up To A Record Success For Mercedes-Benz Vans

Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Ltd has continued to keep Britain’s businesses moving in 2016 with the brand reporting some seriously enviable numbers including a record 36,952 registrations, marking the seventh consecutive year of growth.

Increases can be seen across the board, from an impressive 13 industry award haul in 2016 including Fleet Van of the Year at the Motor Transport Awards and Van Manufacturer of the Year at the Commercial Fleet Awards, to a 30% rise in Citan registrations.

Mercedes-Benz Vans also celebrated record sales in March (+18% year-on-year), November (+26%), the first quarter of 2016 (+11%), the second quarter (+1%) and the last quarter (+3%), as well as best ever retail sales (+8%), leading to an increase of 7% in the number of new customers choosing Mercedes-Benz Vans.

In terms of used vehicles, the brand has seen a 9% year-on-year growth for used van sales from the Dealer Network, who have themselves, grown massively in 2016. One Mercedes-Benz Vans Dealer sold more than 4,000 vehicles last year – for context, that is more than the Mercedes-Benz Vans sales across Ireland, Hungary, Greece and Luxembourg combined.

In addition, 2016 has seen some significant Dealer investment across the 116 site nationwide Network, with two dedicated Van Centres opened last year – Euro Commercials in Cardiff and Roanza in Liverpool. Rygor Commercials also launched a new, purpose-built Van and Truck site in Gloucester, and there were site redevelopments from Mertrux Nottingham, Orwell Truck & Van Ipswich and Northside Truck & Van Sheffield.

Over 15,500 Service Plans were activated last year, representing more than a 250% increase since 2012, with 109,000 vans going through the Mercedes-Benz authorised repairer network last year.

MobiloVan, Mercedes-Benz Vans’ free UK and Europe-wide roadside assistance, continues to keep customers moving, with an attendance time of still less than an hour and a roadside fix rate of almost 80%.

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services (MBFS) also had another record-breaking year, funding £298m vans in 2016. More new and used vans have been funded than ever before with over 1,000 more vans financed last year than in the previous record year. MBFS continues to fund one in three Mercedes-Benz Vans in the UK.

Steve Bridge, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Ltd, said: “Our focus to keep our customers’ businesses moving has been unrelenting this year, and it is a focus that we are very proud of; I don’t want us to be seen as another vehicle manufacturer – we are a commercial partner, working hard to support Britain’s businesses.

“Offering the best products is nothing without the service of the best team, and that is something that we have both at Head Office and across our nationwide Dealer Network. I am genuinely humbled to have received the awards and accolades that we have had this year to reflect this, with many judged by van buyers, users and operators. It makes me exceptionally proud to be considered Van Manufacturer of the Year by Commercial Fleet and as I have said before, this is an award that belongs to each individual that works for and on behalf of Mercedes-Benz Vans.

“The motivation for us remains our customers, and I thank them all for their business in 2016, from the one van purchase through to the large fleet deals and the existing van operators that continue to choose our Dealer Network for their maintenance.”

END OF YEAR UK - RENAULT VANS - The commercial arm increases sales by 1.5% & Increased market share.

• Renault van sales up 1.5 per cent to 25,842 vehicles in 2016
• Renault van market share grew to 6.8 per cent
• Renault van sales in the UK considerably outpace the van market growth rate
• Strong LCV growth beats 2015’s record year for Renault LCVs in the UK
• Renault has been Europe’s number one LCV manufacturer for eighteen years

Renault van sales experienced a record-breaking year in the UK, growing by 1.5 per cent to 25,842 vehicles in 2016 in a van market that grew by 0.5 per cent, according to official figures released today from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 

Renault’s LCV market share for 2016 stood at 6.8 per cent – up 0.1 percentage point on 2015.

The award-winning Trafic is still proving popular with British businesses with 15,271 of the third generation model being sold in the UK in 2016 – up 11.5 per cent versus last year.

Commenting on the results, Paul Flanagan, Managing Director, Groupe Renault UK & Ireland, said: “It’s great to have yet another record-breaking year for Renault vans in the UK having beaten 2015’s record year. With our offering of an innovative and efficient range of vans to suit every business need, supported by our ever-growing Renault Pro+ network, 2016’s performance reflects Renault’s ever-increasing appeal in the UK van market.”

Renault has been Europe’s number one LCV manufacturer for the last eighteen consecutive years and was Europe’s number one electric van manufacturer in 2015.

The Renault LCV range consists of the Kangoo compact van comprising of Kangoo, Kangoo Maxi and 100 per cent electric-in-use Kangoo van Z.E, the Trafic panel van, available in both Passenger and high-roof bodystyles as well as the large Master van in Passenger, Panel and Crew Van specifications. A comprehensive range of converted LCV products are also available to order, built by Renault and Renault-approved coachbuilders. The 100 per cent electric-in-use Twizy Cargo quadricycle is also a part of the LCV line-up – a unique way of transporting smaller items around urban environments with zero emissions in use.

Groupe Renault, which comprises Renault cars, vans and Dacia, significantly outpaced the UK vehicle market during 2016, with sales totalling 137,436 vehicles for a market share of 4.5 per cent – up 7.9 per cent from the year before and outpacing a total market growth of 1.9 per cent. These results make Groupe Renault the fastest growing volume franchise in the UK, outperforming the overall market for the fourth consecutive year. 

	Volume			Market share
	2015	2016	change	2015	2016	change
Renault cars	75,618	85,102	12.5%	2.9%	3.2%	0.3%
Renault LCV	25,458	25,842	1.5%	6.7%	6.8%	0.1%
Dacia	26,228	26,562	1.1%	1%	1%	-
Total Groupe Renault	127,343	137,506	8%	4.2%	4.5%	0.3%