Toyota Overtakes Ford In US Auto Sales
After a 75 year lock on the #2 position for domestic auto sales, Ford has dropped to #3 - replaced by Toyota. Now, only behind General Motors, will Toyota continue it’s relentless innovation of new products in search of the #1 spot?
As consumers worry about high gasoline prices they’ve been straying away from gas-guzzling domestics in favor of more efficient foreign vehicles. Led by Toyota Tundra’s bite out of the truck market, which saw a sales increase of 57% over last year, helped Toyota sell 48,226 more cars and trucks than Ford, according to sales figures released today.
Ford’s overall sales dropped 12% over last year, ending one of the worst years for them in nearly 10 years and made this the first time since 1931 that Ford wasn’t behind GM in overall United States vehicle sales. The boost from the aging Mustang and Taurus also helped contribute to the decline. The Mustang, in particular, has enjoyed tremendous hype since its 2005 redesign.
Jim Farley, Ford’s global marketing who also had a career with Toyota, said the latest sales figures won’t change Ford’s recovery plan. If anything, he says, it’ll “accelerate the development of new products.” Only time will tell.