Overseas Demand Boosts Ford Mustang as Domestic Sales Wane

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

The Ford Mustang, a nameplate actually deserving of the word “iconic,” is no less vulnerable to the whims of the market than any other model. As domestic light vehicle demand in North America cools off, so have Mustang sales.

Fortunately for Ford, the automaker took it upon itself to fling Mustangs to every corner of the world for its most recent generation, and buyers in 140 countries are now able to take delivery of the original pony car. That volume, while not America-like, has bolstered sales.

In the U.S., 2017 haven’t yet seen a month where Mustang sales surpassed that of the previous year. In 2016, the 105,916 domestically sold Mustangs represented a climb-down from the year before, when over 122,000 units left the lot. A slip, but still better than the remainder of the post-recession era.

The Chevrolet Camaro topped Mustang in U.S. sales last month, eking out a slim 674-unit lead in April.

Because the model went global in early 2015, domestic sales don’t tell the whole story. Europe and China represent the largest overseas demand for Mustang, and the greatest potential for sales growth. According to IHS Markit data, European customers bought 15,335 Mustangs in 2016, the model’s first full year of sales. Another 5,300 were sold in the first four months of this year.

In a region where customers face punitive taxes on anything remotely considered a gas guzzler — and where diesel power is still a going concern — Mustang has become the best-selling “sports car” in nine countries: France, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Finland, Greece and the U.K.

It remains to be seen whether Ford can keep up its European sales growth, or whether the dismal score awarded to the model after Euro NCAP crash tests (two out of five stars) prompts buyers to look elsewhere. Year-to-date sales in the region are trailing 2016 figures by 800 units. The April shortfall amounts to 300 units.

In China, Ford remains locked in battle with rival General Motors, mainly via both companies’ popular crossovers, SUVs and luxury sedans. While Mustang sales rose 74 percent in 2016, headwinds exist. In addition to the steep price markup in the Chinese market (a 5.o-liter model costs about the equivalent of $100,000), GM will launch its Camaro this year in the People’s Republic.

[Source: Wards Auto] [Image: Ford Motor Company]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Voyager Voyager on May 26, 2017

    Ford perfectly understood what GM seemed to have missed with the Camaro: make a decent, sporty and good-looking coupe (and not some pastiche of a former ponycar with bad visibility)... and Europeans will look passed the fact that it no longer packs a big V8. In the country that I reside, the V8 is twice as expensive (more than 100,000 euro) as the 2.3 liter turbo.

  • Spike_in_Brisbane Spike_in_Brisbane on May 26, 2017

    The Mustang is selling in Oz because it is finally made in RHD and because Ford killed off the Falcon. Here in Queensland a V8 costs an extra $200 a year in registration even though my Mercedes V8 uses less fuel than either of my 6 cylinder cars.

  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
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