Ford squeaks out 0.3% December sales gain

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2016 Ford F-150 Limited.(Photo: Ford Motor Company)

Ford, largely powered by F-Series pickup sales,said it sold just slightly more cars and trucks in December and for the full year than it did in 2015 in the U.S.

In December, Ford said it sold 239,854 cars and trucks, or 0.3% more than the same month a year ago.

For the full year, Ford sold 2.61 million cars and trucks, a 0.1% increase compared with 2015.

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While Ford only slighly exceeded its 2015 sales the gain is still a stellar year for the Dearborn automaker and reflects what automakers now say will be a record sales year for the industry as well.

General Motors said early today it expects U.S. industry sales will exceed 17.5 million cars and trucks in the U.S., exceeding the 2015 total of 17.47 million.

Ford also is celebrating a major milestone as F-Series now reigns as the top-selling truck in the country for 40 consecutive years and best-selling vehicle for 35 years.

Ford sold 87,512 F-Series pickups in December, a 2.7% increase compared to the same month a year ago, and sold 820,799 F-Series pickups, a 5.2% increase for the year.

December marked Fords best retail performance since 2004, with average transaction prices increasing $1,600 for the month $1,000 more than the industry average, Mark laneve, ford"s vice president of sales and marketing said in a statement. "Thanks to strong customer demand for F-Series, Transit and an all-new lineup of heavy trucks, Ford capped 2016 as Americas best-selling truck brand.

Sales of Ford"s cars fell 11.7% in December and 13% for the year as American consumer preferencescontinued to shift to crossovers, SUVs and pickups.

Sales of Ford"s SUVs increased 5.4% in December and 4.9% for the year.

Despite the industry"s record sales, all automakers will likely see sales level off this year, said Edmunds Senior Analyst Jeremy Acevedo.

"Demand will start to level off from the record-setting pace the automotive industry has enjoyed the last two years," he said. "However the fact that automotive sales will still be over 17 million indicates the market is healthy. While the last few years have been defined by breakneck growth, 2017 will be a year of stability."

Contact Brent Snavely: 313-222-6512 or bsnavely@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrentSnavely.

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Source: http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2017/01/04/ford-sales-december-year-end/96147780/