Ford Motor Co. succeeded in defying the prevailing trend in new vehicle sales by reporting an increase of 5.9% as it remained the top selling automaker in the U.S. for the third month in a row.
Even with another month to go in 2021, Ford is already claiming the F-Series will be the best-selling truck in the U.S. for the 45th year in a row, beating Ram and Chevrolet despite the shortages of semi-conductors slowing production for much of the year.
Ford also said sales of its breakthrough products, including its new line of electrified vehicles and the new Bronco line, coupled with inventory improvements made Ford the only major U.S. automaker to report a year-over-year sales increase in November.
Sales of electrified vehicles grow quickly
Sales of Ford’s electrified vehicle sales grew in November at a rate more than three times faster than the overall electrified vehicle segment, taking Ford’s electrified vehicle share to 10% compared to 5.4% last year.
This set a record November with sales of 11,116 electrified vehicles — up 153.6 percent. New products are providing the boost, with Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Hybrid sales of 3,088 and 4,767, respectively.
“Our new products continue to roll, making Ford America’s best-selling automaker for the third consecutive month, a feat last accomplished in 1974,” said Andrew Frick, vice president of sales for the U.S. and Canada. “We expect growth to continue, thanks to adding an additional 74,000 new vehicle orders in November,” he added.
Ford brand SUVs posted a record November with retail sales were increasing 25.6% compared with a year ago on total sales of 66,390 vehicles. The Bronco family enjoyed its highest combined sales since launch.
The company’s total pickup truck sales climbed 15.8% compared to a year-ago with sales totaling 70,839 units. F-Series sales rose 14.6%, expanding its leadership position over the second-place competitor to 144,049 trucks for the year.
Ford market share up
Overall, Ford’s market share totaled an estimated 13.8%, which is 2.7 percentage points higher than November last year.
Ford’s newest products also are turning in under 12 days, with Maverick turning in just five days — essentially trailer-to-customer. Maverick Hybrid recorded its first sales at the end of November and more hybrids are on their way to dealers.
Meanwhile, Mazda North American Operations reported total November sales of 20,602 vehicles, a decrease of 5.3% compared to November 2020. Year-to-date sales totaled 313,334 vehicles; an increase of 26.4% compared to the same time last year. With 24 selling days in November, compared to 23 the year prior, the company posted a decrease of 9.2% on a Daily Selling Rate basis.
Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Hyundai and Kia had all reported year-over-year declines in November sales as the annual sales rate dropped to 13.8 million units due to shortage of key parts and shipping delays.
