Ford Motor Co.'s share of the European market broke 10 percent for the first time in eight years last month after the Dearborn automaker posted its fourth consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases.
Sales in the 19 largest European markets totaled 152,600 new vehicles, 12.3 percentage points more than a year before and well ahead of the industry's 2.9 percent gain. That pushed Ford's share in Europe to 10.1 percent -- a level it has not seen since September of 2001.
"Traditionally we expect Ford to have a good month in September given the surge of new car sales in the UK due to the registration plate change, but September 2009 has surpassed expectations," said Ingvar Sviggum, Ford of Europe's vice president for marketing, sales and service.
"Our continuing success in gaining market share despite the difficult economic situation shows that customers are willing to place their faith in Ford because we are providing them with the exciting and innovative new vehicles that they want to buy," he said. "This is particularly true of the new Ford Fiesta, which achieved its highest September sales volume since 1994."
Sviggum acknowledged that the end of scrappage programs in several key European nations makes the coming months uncertain ones for all players in European.
"We remain concerned about the continuing fragility of the underlying market," he said. "With the sudden ending of some scrappage schemes and the more-controlled phasing out of others, the industry faces an uncertain future in terms of market demand as 2010 approaches. It is clear that there is still a need for government intervention in Europe.
Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News
[Source: The Detroit News]
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