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Ford ZX2 Sports Sizzling Sales in First Year

16 April 1998

Ford ZX2 Sports Sizzling Sales in First Year

    DETROIT, April 16 -- More than 60,000 customers have grabbed
life by the wheel and driven home a Ford Escort ZX2 since the two-door coupe's
introduction last year on April 17.
    ZX2 sales have risen each month since October, and the sporty coupe had
its best sales performance in March with more than 6,500 sold.
    "ZX2 has lived up to our expectations," said Ross Roberts, Ford Motor
Company vice president and general manager of Ford Division.  "It
has attracted a lot of women and younger buyers to Ford showrooms.  In fact,
60 percent of ZX2 buyers are women and more than 20 percent are under 25 years
old.
    "By offering more value for the money, we've done the same thing on this
car as we've done with Mustang, and we're getting similar results," Roberts
added.
    ZX2 has been especially hot in Southern California.  "The people who buy
ZX2s love 'em," said Tawny Arnaud, vice president of sales for Galpin Ford in
Los Angeles.  "The styling is great, and it's priced right."
    Galpin Ford, the top retail seller of ZX2s nationwide, has delivered more
than 700 ZX2s to customers over the past year.
    Last October, Ford lowered the price of the base or "cool" ZX2 series by
$1,000 and decreased the price of the upper level "hot" series by $815.  In an
effort to deliver greater value to the customer, Ford simplified ZX2's options
and added standard equipment, including power mirrors, to its "hot" series.
The cost of anti-lock brakes (ABS) was lowered by $170.
    "We conducted a lot of research when we introduced ZX2, asking customers
what they wanted on the car," said Leisa Byars, Ford ZX2 brand manager.  "They
wanted more standard options for less money, so we made it easy for them to
personalize the car for less.  For instance, if you're interested in a spoiler
and sporty aluminum wheels, you can have that in the sport package for a
reasonable price."
    ZX2 is featured in Ford's new "Built to Last" advertising campaign, which
debuted in early February.  In one of the new commercials, two young women in
a ZX2 notice a van is following them, and they decide to lose it.  The ZX2
driver slips the car into an alley and, as the vehicle passes, they see it was
a Publishers Clearinghouse sweepstakes van.  The guys in the van give up and
toss the $1 million check with the driver's name on it into the van's back
seat.
    Ford introduced Escort ZX2 as a 1998 model, on April 17, 1997, the same
date as Mustang's anniversary.

SOURCE  Ford Motor Company