JATO Dynamics Analyses Ford Surge in F-Series Sales as New Model Hits Market

TROY, Mich., Oct. 7, 2003 -- Ford Motor Company saw rising volumes in the month of September as F-Series sales breached the 80,000 mark for the first time since December 2001, according to the sales volumes reported in V4, a product of JATO Dynamics.

The 81,782 units mark the second month in a row with much improved sales, largely due to the release of the all-new 2004 F-150 in July. The redesigned F-150 represents only the second major revision of the popular line in the last twenty years.

"This is one of the most important launches for the company," said Ford's vehicle operations launch manager Micki Mann. This is one of the best trucks Ford has built, Mann added.

The success of the popular truck is clear in their 43.6 percent share of the full-size truck market for the month of September. The F-Series' closest competitor, the Chevrolet Silverado (formerly C/K Pickup) has outsold the F-Series for the month only 6 times in the past 10 years. In fact, Ford has out-paced all other light truck makers every year of the past two decades as it moves quickly toward selling its 15 millionth F-Series since 1980.

A large part of Ford's recent success may be due to their fiercely competitive finance programs. First announced in November of 2001, the automaker has offered zero percent financing on most of its models for almost two years. Currently, Ford is offering up to $3000 in cash rebates and 0% on most 2003 F-Series and is even offering reduced financing (2.9-4.9%) on the all-new 2004 F-150. This is based on information from JATO Dynamics incentives research Website, www.jatoincentives.com .

The F-150 has been running behind the forecasted sales for most of 2003, as indicated in the FORECASTING chart (Analysis: FORD F-SERIES). With the launch of the 2004 model, Ford has put their sales back on track.

With the release of the F-150, Ford is now banking its financial future on strong sales from the long-time favorite. Based on these projections it seems that Ford will continue to see some increase in average monthly sales, news that is sure to make the people in Dearborn stop and smile.

For more information, please visit www.jato.com or contact JATO Dynamics at (248) 362-2728 or email us.inquires@jato.com .

About JATO Dynamics

Founded in 1984, JATO provides the world's most comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date information on vehicle specification and pricing, sales and registrations, news, and incentives. The company has representation in over 40 world markets, providing unique local market expertise. JATO's client base includes all of the world's volume vehicle manufacturers, giving them the ability to react to short-term market movements, plans for long-term developments, and ultimately to meet the needs of the consumer. The data gathered and analyzed by JATO has also been adapted for consumer use in motoring web portals such as MSN, where customers can compare advantages and disadvantages of a specific vehicle model against any others.