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Ford Truck sales AZOOM'n

21 December 1998

Crazy About 'Built Ford Tough' Trucks; Truck Sales Records Topple at Ford Showrooms

    DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 21 -- Jim O'Connor, President -
Ford Division, announced today that U.S. customers have purchased or leased an
all-time record number of "Built Ford Tough" trucks from Ford dealers in 1998.
It marks the third calendar year in a row that Ford Division truck sales have
exceeded two million and the 13th year in row that Ford has been the
No. 1 selling truck brand in America.
    "Nobody lives, breathes, and thinks trucks more than Ford," said O'Connor.
"Don't blink -- there are more Ford truck innovations just around the corner."

    New Truck Sales Record
    With two weeks to go in the calendar year, Ford dealers have delivered
2,129,487 pickups, sport utility vehicles, and vans to U.S. customers.  The
previous record for truck sales by a single brand was set by Ford last year
(2,121,431).

    Ford F-Series:  Highest Sales for Any Vehicle in 20 Years
    For the first time in 20 years, a single vehicle has eclipsed the
800,000 sales mark in the U.S.  Small wonder that distinction belongs to
Ford's F-Series pickup with sales of 801,080.  The F-Series has been the
best-selling truck in America for 22 years in a row and the best-selling
vehicle, car or truck, for 17 years in a row.
    "The F-Series has been the cornerstone of the Ford franchise for
50 years," said O'Connor.  "The pickup truck and the hard-working American
spirit are inseparable, and F-Series is America's truck."  This year, the
margin between F-Series and its nearest competitor would fill an assembly
plant, and then some.

    Ford Explorer Outsells Every Passenger Car
    O'Connor also announced that the Ford Explorer has set a new sales record
for sport utility vehicles.  In 1998, customers have purchased or leased
408,241 Explorers, breaking the record of 402,663 that Explorer set in 1996.
This year, U.S. customers have purchased more Explorers than any passenger car
in the U.S., and Explorer is outselling its nearest SUV competitor by almost a
2:1 margin.
    "The Ford Explorer has been the best-selling SUV every year since it was
introduced in 1990," noted O'Connor.  "Even though the number of competitors
keeps increasing, Explorer is still setting sales records."  In 1990, there
were 26 SUV nameplates in the U.S.  Today, there are 41.

    Ford Expedition - Full-Size SUV Sales Record
    Explorer's big brother, the Expedition also has set a new sales record
with sales of 214,772 in 1998.  The old record (214,524) was set last year.
Expedition has been the best-selling full-size SUV in America since it was
introduced in September 1996.