Ford Motor Company (F 0.66%) said that its U.S. sales rose 1.2% in June, on good sales of its newest SUVs and continued strong demand for its huge-selling F-Series pickups.
Year to date, Ford's sales are still down 1.8%, thanks to a weakening market for sedans and so-so results for its older SUV models.
Sales of several key Ford models have lagged rivals' recently, but the all-important F-Series continues to sell in big numbers. Image source: Ford Motor Company.
How Ford fared against rivals
Here are the June sales results for the six largest-selling automakers in the U.S. market. The overall U.S. light-vehicle market rose 5.2% in June, according to figures from Automotive News, meaning that Ford's gain lagged the market's growth.
| Automaker | June 2018 U.S. Sales | Change vs. June 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| General Motors (GM -0.17%) | 256,976 | 5.7% |
| Ford | 230,635 | 1.2% |
| Toyota | 209,602 | 3.6% |
| Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU) | 202,264 | 8% |
| Honda | 146,563 | 4.8% |
| Nissan | 145,096 | 1.2% |
Data sources: The automakers, Automotive News. Figures for General Motors are Automotive News estimates, as GM no longer reports its U.S. sales on a monthly basis.
High and low points from Ford's June sales report
The high points:
- We have to start with the F-Series, Ford's "crown jewel" and the single biggest driver of its profits. F-Series sales rose 1.7% in June from a very good year-ago result, to 79,204 sold for the month.
- The F-Series' average transaction price in June was a strong $46,800.
- Sales of Ford-brand SUVs as a group rose 8.1% in June. Key drivers: Good gains for the compact Escape (up 6.4%) and big Expedition (up 10.1%), and the new EcoSport's best monthly result yet, with 6,756 sold.
- Most Ford-brand cars struggled in June. A happy exception: Sales of the Mustang, which was revamped for 2018, were up 19.6% from a year ago.
The Mustang was revamped for 2018. Sales have been good, making it one of very few bright spots in Ford's sagging car portfolio. Image source: Ford Motor Company.
- Ford's year-over-year sales gain came despite a drop in overall fleet sales. The Blue Oval's U.S. retail sales rose 2.9% in June. Average transaction prices were up $540 from a year ago, suggesting that Ford's incentive use remains disciplined. That's good news for profit margins.
- Sales of the Transit commercial van rose 25% from a year ago. While Ford's overall fleet sales were down, its sales to commercial fleets rose 6% last month.
- Lincoln sales rose 2.8%, on good gains for its compact MKC and large Navigator SUVs. The Navigator is all-new and reviews have been strongly positive; sales were up 68.4% in June, and its average transaction price rose a whopping $27,000.
- Sales of the Police Interceptor version of the Explorer rose 2.3% to 3,051 -- but sales of the police version of the Taurus sedan fell 13% to just 637. (The net result: Sales of Ford police vehicles fell by 26 units from a year ago.)
- Sales of the super-expensive Ford GT sports car rose 22.2%, but don't get too excited: That's 11 GTs delivered in June, versus nine in June of 2017. Year to date, Ford has delivered 67 GTs, up from 21 in the first half of last year.
The not-so-high points:
- Ford's sedans are still struggling. Sales of Ford-brand cars as a group fell 13.2% from (fairly poor) year-ago results; Lincoln's cars were down 26.6%. Only the tiny Fiesta managed a year-over-year sales gain.
- Of note: After a strong debut, the Lincoln Continental is struggling. Ford sold just 546 in the U.S. in June, down 44% from a year ago.
- Also of note: The Lincoln MKZ is a mechanical sibling of the soon-to-be-discontinued Ford Fusion. The two are made on the same production line. Ford hasn't said anything about the MKZ's fate, but its sales are down 32.5% year to date.
The huge (and hugely profitable) Lincoln Navigator is all new and much improved for 2018. Demand has been very strong. Image source: Ford Motor Company.
The upshot: Mixed results still suggest good profits
Ford's mixed-bag results for June followed similar results in April and May. For the second quarter, Ford's U.S. sales fell about 0.8% -- but within that result, and despite turbulence in the overall U.S. market, some profit-boosting trends remained intact for Ford.
For starters, F-Series sales rose 5.5% in the quarter, and average transaction prices remained strong -- both good signs for profitability. The big and super-profitable Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, both all new (and hugely improved) for 2018, continued to sell very well at strong prices. Commercial-vehicle sales remained strong, and sales of the Mustang rose 5% in the quarter.
Long story short: While the U.S. new-car market is showing signs of slipping, Ford's most profitable products continued to sell well in the second quarter, at what appear to be good prices. That's a good sign for Ford's profit in North America. We'll know more when the Blue Oval reports its second-quarter earnings on July 25.
