Ford F series loses title as top-selling vehicle in May
Richard Truett Automotive News June 3, 2008 - 2:17 pm ET
The Ford F-150 pickup truck has been dethroned as America's favorite vehicle for the first time since 1991 -- by two Toyota sedans.
According to preliminary sales figures released by automakers, Ford Motor Co. sold 42,973 F-series trucks in May, while Toyota Motor Corp. sold 52,826 Corollas and 51,291 Camrys.
The last time a car outsold the F series was October 1991.
Jim Farley, Ford group vice president for marketing and communications, said the F series' loss to Toyota's cars was a "significant development."
"But it's not surprising, given the fuel price," Farley said. "That's just a sign of the times. I think May has been a watershed month."
Toyota said Corolla sales rose 12.4 percent in May, but were down 9.5 percent for the first five months compared with the same period a year ago. Camry sales have been flat.
A structural shift
"The all-new Corolla really found its stride this month," Toyota Motor Sales President Jim Lentz said in a statement. "Launched amid soaring fuel prices and economic uncertainty, Corolla strikes a sweet spot for buyers seeking refinement in addition to fuel efficiency and affordability."
Ford CEO Alan Mulally said the fact that cars are outselling trucks is further evidence that the industry is undergoing a change in consumer preference.
"We really believe we are seeing a structural shift with the fuel prices going through the $3.40-to-$3.60" range. It's interesting that a lot of others are saying the same thing now," Mulally told reporters Monday, June
2, at a dinner in Washington."So I think we're seeing a structural shift where, with the prices being high in the United States, we're seeing exactly what happened in Europe a number of years ago, where the customers are going to make economic decisions, and they're going to move toward smaller and medium-sized vehicles."
Amy Wilson and Andrew Grossman contributed to this report.