Californians make Ford the sales leader.ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 1997--With its trend-setting cars and trucks, Ford Motor Co. roared to the top sales spot in the crucial California market for the 1996 calendar year. Based upon R.L. Polk registrations for 1996, Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealers combined to sell 357,396 cars and trucks -- nearly 1,000 per day to customers in California. Signaling continued economic recovery in the state, the California auto industry rose to 1,545,611 cars and trucks in 1996, up 2.6 percent over 1995 and the most sold since 1989. In this environment, Ford scored an impressive three of the Top 10 in car sales and four of the Top 10 in truck sales for the year. And, when these are combined, Ford also took four places among the ten best-selling vehicles overall, with the all new F-Series pickup, the redesigned Explorer sport utility vehicle (SUV), the trend-leading Taurus, and the segment-leading Ranger compact pickup. "A major development in our industry in recent years has been the switch from cars to trucks and SUVs," explained John Mendel, Ford Division Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. regional manager. "Consumers want the carrying and towing capacity provided by F-Series and Ranger, and the comfort and durability of the Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a mid-size sport utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990. and Mercury Mountaineer The Mercury Mountaineer is a near-luxury SUV manufactured by the Mercury brand name and owned by the Ford Motor Company. The Mountaineer shares many features with the Ford Explorer, and in terms of hardware, the vehicles are virtually identical. . These stylish trucks and SUVs are now virtual icons in Los Angeles, and we're proud of the fact that so many people trade in their expensive imports for our trucks. With our new Ford Expedition The Ford Expedition is a full-size SUV built by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced in 1997 it slots between the smaller Ford Explorer, and the now discontinued and larger Ford Excursion. The Expedition offers up to eight passenger seating and a range of V8 engines. and Lincoln Navigator The Lincoln Navigator is a full-size luxury SUV produced by Ford Motor Company for its luxury division Lincoln. Introduced in 1998, the Navigator was one of the first full-size luxury SUVs. at the top of the SUV market, we're continuing to respond to evolving consumer tastes." Ford overshadowed its Japanese competition in the truck market, outselling Japanese manufacturers by 51,102 trucks. "Our competitors sometimes present the argument that they lead Ford in retail sales," stated Mendel, "but our truck sales surpass our competitors in both retail and fleet. Very simply, Ford is the No. 1 choice among both business and private truck buyers in California. We offer the combination of style, comfort and utility which pleases all kinds of buyers." Ford and Lincoln-Mercury Divisions scored solid successes in the car market as well, led by the all-new Ford Taurus Not to be confused with Ford Taunus. The Ford Taurus is currently a full-size, front-wheel drive or all wheel drive automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in North America. and Mercury Sable The Mercury Sable was originally a mid-size car, and is now a full-size car created by the Ford Motor Company and sold under the semi-luxury Mercury brand. It is the mechanical counterpart of the Ford Taurus. , the choice of more than 40,000 Californians. Escort was also in the Top 10 again, along with the perennial California favorite, the Mustang mustang [Sp. mesteño=a stray], small feral horse of the W United States. Mustangs are descended from escaped Native American horses, which in turn were descended from horses of North African blood, brought to the New World by the Spanish c.1500. . "California is one of Ford's most important markets in the world," said Mendel. "To put it in perspective, Ford sells some 18,000 vehicles a day in the world -- and nearly 1,000 of those are sold in California. Plus, the state is a trend setter setter: see sporting dog. setter Any of three breeds derived from a medieval hunting dog that would set (lie down) when it found birds so that it and the birds could be covered with a net. Setters have long hair on the ears, chest, legs, and tail. ... what starts here often sweeps the nation. For example, we offer the broadest array of alternative fuel cars and trucks in the state. "We are introducing a broad array of new California-focused products this year, including the new Lincoln Navigator, the new Escort ZX2 sport coupe, the redesigned Ford Windstar The Ford Windstar was a minivan produced and sold by the Ford Motor Company from March 1994 (for the 1995 model year) to 2003. The new front-wheel drive minivan would eventually replace Ford's aging rear-wheel drive Aerostar minivan. minivan, Ford Contour The Ford Contour is a North American variant of the European Ford Mondeo sedan previously sold by Ford Motor Company. It was sold in North America from 1994 (as a 1995 model) through 2000. and Mercury Mystique The Mercury Mystique was a compact car produced by the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company from 1995 to 2000. It was a rebadged version of the North American Ford Contour and the international Ford Mondeo. It debuted as a 1995 model year, replacing the Mercury Topaz. sedans, and the new SVT SVT supraventricular tachycardia. SVT abbr. supraventricular tachycardia SVT Supraventricular tachycardia, see there Contour performance sedan. As this underscores, our success is build upon asking Californians what they want, and providing it." -0-
TOP TEN SELLING VEHICLES IN CALIFORNIA
Calendar Year 1996
1. Honda Accord 58,687
2. Toyota Camry 57,054
3. Honda Civic 54,256
4. FORD F-SERIES 50,112
5. FORD EXPLORER 42,984
6. Toyota Corolla 35,032
7. FORD TAURUS 34,402
8. Chevrolet C/K 34,178
9. Dodge D150/350 31,010
10. FORD RANGER 30,440
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TOP TEN SELLING CARS IN CALIFORNIA
Calendar Year 1996
1. Honda Accord 58,687
2. Toyota Camry 57,054
3. Honda Civic 54,256
4. Toyota Corolla 35,032
5. FORD TAURUS 34,402
6. FORD ESCORT 26,406
7. Saturn 25,242
8. FORD MUSTANG 18,476
9. Chevrolet Cavalier 18,177
10. Chevrolet Lumina 17,175
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TOP TEN SELLING TRUCKS IN CALIFORNIA
Calendar Year 1996
1. FORD F-SERIES 50,112
2. FORD EXPLORER 42,984
3. Chevrolet C/K 34,178
4. Dodge D150/350 31,010
5. FORD RANGER 30,440
6. Toyota Pickup 29,840
7. Jeep Grand Cherokee 28,180
8. Dodge Caravan 27,430
9. Toyota 4-Runner 20,090
10. FORD WINDSTAR 18,853
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1996 CALIFORNIA SALES LEADERS
TOP TEN MANUFACTURERS
COMBINED CAR AND TRUCK SALES
(Includes all Divisions)
Ford Motor Co. 357,396(a)
General Motors 355,461
Toyota 208,375
Chrysler 193,037
Honda 144,331
Nissan 98,474
Mazda 26,858
Volkswagen 22,670
BMW 22,375
Mercedes-Benz 20,946
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(a) Excludes Jaguar, a wholly-owned subsidiary
Source: R.L. Polk Registrations
CONTACT: Ford Motor Co. John Clinard, 714/939-3699 or William T. George Jr., 714/939-3695 |
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