Following news that the 2012 UK new car market hit a four-year high of more than two million units, SMMT has welcomed two best selling Ford models into its Westminster showroom, celebrating the company’s latest annual sales success.
Ford has now been the UK’s number one car brand for 36 successive years, with an even longer leadership in the commercial vehicle market of 47 years with the Transit range.
The two models on show at SMMT represent the best selling car and van in the UK. The Ford Fiesta has now been the UK’s best selling car for the fourth successive year, recording 109,265 registrations in 2012. Ford commercial vehicles have been the UK market leader for 47 years, with Transit vans in 2012 recording 48,075 registrations.
Full year car registrations in the UK in 2012 were up 5.3% on the 2011 total, to 2,044,609 units. Ford sold 281,917 cars in the UK last year, up from 265,894 in 2011.
Mark Ovenden, Ford Britain managing director, said, “More people choose Ford over any other vehicle brand in the UK and as we face similar, difficult market conditions in 2013 we will look to satisfy the needs of our private and business customers by strengthening our vehicle range still further and providing the best sales and service offering in our dealerships.”
Growth in 2012 stemmed from a 12.9%, or 106,346 units, rise in private registrations. Regular replacement cycles, offers and incentives and some buyers shifting from buying used to new cars could have contributed to the upturn.
Demand was particularly strong for Mini (+54.2%), Supermini (+5.6%) and Dual Purpose (+21.1%) segment cars in 2012.
Click through to read the full 2012 UK car registrations news release.
Click through the slideshow below to see all the photos from SMMT’s exhibition space.
