Ford Falls 14.7%
Ouch. The Summer of Detroit's Discontent (not to mention everyone else's) continues to hammer the worst laid plans of truck-heavy automakers. And while everyone gives FoMoCo CEO Alan Mulally credit for being the most "realistic" of The Big 2.8's helmsmen, he ought to have a word with his PR department. Do they really think headlining their all-caps press release "FORD FOCUS CONTINUES TO SURPRISE, OUTPACE SEGMENT" is going to distract anyone from the fact that Dearborn's darlings' overall sales are down by 14.7 percent versus last year? On second thought [via The Detroit News]… "Car sales were up 7.8% in July compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, sales were down 7.8% for crossovers, 54.4% for SUVs and 18.1% for pickups and vans." FYI, Focus sales (a horrible car by my snobby estimation), totaled 15,200 units. Toyota shifted 34,438 Corolla's in the same time period. Just sayin'.
Click here for Ford's sales press release
(Note: The numbers in the press release are adjusted for sales days, so they will vary from the unadjusted numbers reported here.)
More by Robert Farago
Comments
Join the conversation
John Horner: Racing Saab for the Swedish graveyard?
Geotpf: Volvo won't even win that. Saab is already in the grave, they just need someone to close the casket. Volvo still has a chance. I think that they need to do like Mercedes-Benz and release a new car that is of the same formula of that of yesteryear. M-B released the new C-class, which brings back M-B's classic formula of making cars that are rugged and overengineered. Volvo needs to do the same, and make a car that is conservatively styled, somewhat luxurious, extremely safe, and on top of it all, completely bulletproof. I would liken Volvo to Jaguar. They have declined in recent years, but it is nothing that a blockbuster new product can't fix. Jaguar went from one foot in the grave to being back in game almost overnight with the release of the XF. However, I think that Volvo needs either to find a new parent or go independant again before this happens. They could advertise the fact that they are the only Swedish automaker, because Saab is beyond saving. GM fucked them up grandly.
Some time ago I was hoping for a patriotic Swedish industrialist to snatch up both Volvo and Saab in order to once again build unique vehicles with a distinctively Scandinavian point of view. But alas, no Brave Viking Warrior has ridden forth. Now I fear it is simply too late to save the day.
Runfromcheney (good advice, that): "I would liken Volvo to Jaguar. They have declined in recent years, but it is nothing that a blockbuster new product can’t fix." Are you sure they don't have it? The new V70 is gorgeous.