Ford F series loses title as top-selling vehicle in May

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.

Reply to
C. E. White
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You are comparing apples to oranges, please compare trucks to trucks.

Reply to
Steven Davis

I wonder why Toyota is not listing the sales figures for the Tundra?

Reply to
Mike hunt

Not shocking. I imagine novelty truck usage is dying with the soaring cost of gas prices.

F150's and trucks will always be a seller because of commercial use... However, even in my ritzy suburb, we have seen a drop in the use of trucks by teenagers and so forth.

Reply to
Don't Taze Me, Bro!

The 1991 date is for sales during ONE month back then when Toyota sold more as well. By the end of the model year is was a far different number. Ford has had the number one spot in ANNUAL sales, the one that counts, for thirty one years, since 1976

Reply to
Mike hunt

Toyota has modestly tried to get their name out there in the truck industry. The problem of course has been egotistical. They have had to get their hands in the mix as a third party... and the pissing contest between Chevy and Ford owners is literally on their back window.

With that said, Tundra has made some strides at gaining in the market as more people shed the xenephobic lifestyle.

Here are some links

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Reply to
Don't Taze Me, Bro!

They have. The sales for the Tundra are in the toliet as well. But at least for May, the F150 was outsold by numerous cars (Corolla, Camry, Accord, Civic). Interestingly, the Camry sales were flat. Corollas actually outsold Canrys in May (so did Civics). Totyotas sales were down a little under 5% for May even though car sales were up slightly.

Actually F150 sales held up pretty well compared to other large trucks. From Automotive News:

"Large trucks are not selling. The Ford F series lost 30.6 percent. Chevrolet Suburbans, Tahoes and Silverados are all down 40 percent or more. The Toyota Tundra is off 31.5 percent and Nissan's Titan plunged 55.8 percent."

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

That's par for the course with the drop in such low mpg vehicles.

Naturally, if Ford and Chevy are not doing well in truck sales, than foreign companies won't do well either.

Reply to
Don't Taze Me, Bro!

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The monster Turdra is perhaps the worst thought out investment Toyota has made in 50 years. They have only been able to move them by loading them up with incentives. It is a fourth rate product in a shrinking market. Even before the recent run up in fuel prices Toyota admitted they were going to miss their announced target for sales by tens of thousands of units. It is a poorly designed, oversized piece of junk. Everyone associated with the project from the planning staff to the engineers should be ashamed. It is the Edsel of the new millennia. What a waste of several billion dollars. I'll bet the Toyota management in Japan wishes they could send some Ninjas over to clean out the idiots who convinced them to turn a reasonably sized truck into the bloated gas sucking pig they are stuck trying to sell with gas at $4. Oh well, at least they still have the Tacoma. How long before they start importing the smaller trucks they sell in other markets? Maybe they can get Ford to slap some Toyota labels on Rangers......

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

All vehicle companies load up vehicles with incentives.

The Tundra has done just fine in a market not intended for foreign companies.

Which is why Toyota has not put as much investment into trucks. Yet they still managed to gain some money in the market.

Reply to
Don't Taze Me, Bro!

Tundra incentives - up to $4500 and 0% interest F150 incentives - up to $3500 or 0% interest Silverado incentives - up to $1500 or 2.9% interest

LOL...it has been an unmitigated disaster. Only a Toyota zealot would think otherwise. Turdra commercial runs almost continuosuly around here, they have more incentives on them than any other truck, and still they can't meet the understated targets they announced when the truck was introduced. In the real world that is called screwing the pooch. In the Toyota zealot world it is called "doing just fine." A few more brilliant moves like that and Hyundai will be replacing Toyota as the worlds largest vehicle manufacturer.

What planet to you live on? Billion of dollars down the drain. The biggest thing they did was drive Nissan out of the full size truck market.

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

Unfortunately, it's a nice truck at a bad time.

The "gas sucking pig" Tundra gets ~ _1_ MPG less than my 4.0L Tacoma in EPA tests, with greater capability.

Like the Hilux, A.K.A the current Tacoma?

There are no "smaller" trucks sold to other markets. The only real difference is that the Hilux is available with a 3 litre turbo diesel. I was in Iceland a short time ago, and the Euro-spec Toyota trucks I saw there, along with the Nissan Patrol, etc... looked an awful lot like the North American spec stuff, only with a small diesel powerplant.

If you don't believe me, Google out the "Top Gear" episode where they drive a Hilux to the North Pole.

Reply to
Valued Corporate #120,345 Empl

There you have it...

Exactly.

Some people really do _need_ Suburbans, Silverados, F150, 250, and

350's, Tundras, etc... Even E-series vans, 4x4 V6 Tacomas and Frontiers, etc... have uses.

It's the Ridgelines, Avalanches, H2's, and the 24" wheeled Tahoes and quad cab, 5' bed F150's, Tacomas, Silverados that'll be gone.

Reply to
Valued Corporate #120,345 Empl

What draws you to this conclusion? Mr. Truett chose not to discuss the sales figures for the Tundra or, for that matter, other lines of trucks, like the trucks made by the auto maker who sells the most light trucks, GM.

Toyota reported sales of 12,144 Tundrae (or Tundras).

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Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Really? That's sad that Ford has to reach that far in a market that they have had a good grasp on.

Yet has made a profit for a company and created American jobs. The Tundra has gained 17 % of the truck market in a market it is not intended to gain in.

Ford and Chevy and Toyota Truck commercials run continuously here in Dallas. Whats your point?

Selling 130 thousand Tundra's a year is burning money?

Interesting!

Reply to
Don't Taze Me, Bro!

I don't think C.E. White has ever been near one. He calls it a monster, yet it is really no larger than the other Trucks in its class, and while Toyota markets it as a fullsize, it is technically and officially a mid-size pick up.

I think he is just rambling inane xenephobic blah blah...

Reply to
Don't Taze Me, Bro!

Some do, but not the majority. I don't think we have seen the end of large vehicles though. Large vehicles bring comfort. Vehicle companies are hard at work making these vehicles evergy efficient.

Reply to
Don't Taze Me, Bro!

I think Valued might be right about the Hummers. However, the Ridgelines, Tahoes, Quadcabs, etc., have uses that some people find worth the price (including the fuel).

But more people will be buying cars than trucks for personal transportation. Toyota, hwoever, makes a Toyora Tacoma that gets 25 mpg highway, with a small engine and manual tranny.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

How dare you forget to mention the Escalade!

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

Don't forget the drug dealers, Hollywood types and Hollywood wannabes will still buy the Escalade.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

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