October 02, 2018 01:00 AM

FORD: F-series streak snapped

DAVID PHILLIPS

Through the first nine months of the year, Ford Motor's sales are down 2.4 percent from 2017.

Ford Motor Co.'s U.S. light-vehicle sales sank 11 percent to 196,496 in September. The automaker cited a tough year-over-year comparison because of strong demand a year ago in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and also said sales slowed last month due to Hurricane Florence.

The decline dropped Ford behind FCA US, whose sales jumped 15 percent to 199,819, for the first time since November 2015.

Mark LaNeve, Ford's head of U.S. marketing, sales and service, summed up the month as a tale of two hurricanes. In the Houston market, which was hit by Harvey in late August 2017, he said Ford's sales dropped 44 percent, or about 8,000 vehicles, last month from September 2017.

Nationwide, sales were down in all vehicle categories in September, led a by 26 percent decline for cars. Sales of pickups and vans fell 10 percent, while utility vehicles dipped 2.7 percent. Ford Motor's retail sales dropped 13 percent, while fleet sales fell 6.7 percent, mostly due to planned reduction on rental deliveries and timing of government orders, LaNeve said.

U.S. sales of the F-series pickup dropped 8.8 percent to 75,092, ending a string of 16 months of consecutive year-over-year gains. Average transaction prices for the F series, however, were at record levels of $46,600, up $1,000 from a year ago.

DAVID PHILLIPS

U.S. sales of the F-series pickup dropped 8.8 percent to 75,092 in September, ending a string of 16 months of consecutive year-over-year gains. Average transaction prices for the F series, however, were at record levels of $46,600, up $1,000 from a year ago.

Ford's Lincoln luxury brand sales slipped 7.2 percent, with all nameplates posting declines except the Navigator, which was up 77 percent.

Through the first nine months of the year, Ford Motor's sales are down 2.4 percent from 2017.

Brands: Ford down 12%, Lincoln down 7.2%.

2018 U.S. market share: 14.5% through Sept. vs. 14.9% through Sept. 2017.

Notable nameplates: F series down 8.8% to 75,092, Mustang down 1.3%, Fusion down 25%, Explorer up 0.7%, Escape down 20%, Expedition up 27%, Lincoln Continental down 23%, Lincoln MKC down 8.1%, Lincoln Navigator up 77%.

Incentives: $4,784 per vehicle, up 7% from a year earlier, according to ALG.

Average transaction price: $37,499, up 5.4% from September 2017, according to ALG.

Fleet mix: 24.9%, up 1.2 percentage points from September 2017.

Inventory: 604,157, a 77-day supply. That compares with 605,851, a 75-day supply, at the end of August.

Quote: "We don't worry about being in a contest with them," LaNeve said about FCA US eclipsing Ford in monthly sales in September.

Did you know? F-series pickup sales topped 70,000 for the seventh consecutive month. And three times so far this year, F-series sales have actually surpassed 80,000 in a month.