Ford Sales Skyrocket as Consumers Turn Back on Obama Motors

Consumers aren't stupid and the fact that they have turned away from Obama motors isn't all that surprising. In all Ford was the only domestic manufacturer to see an increase in its sales while GM and Chrysler tanked . Of course you would think appointing positions of leadership to the auto makers based on political connections rather than auto experience might not have been the best idea, perhaps it was having Steve Rattner as "Auto Czar" only to be driven from office under ethics cloud where it went wrong.

But the numbers also show the troubles facing automakers — sales fell dramatically in the last week of the month, after the $3 billion trade-in program came to an end. Analysts say the rest of the year will again be slow, though not as miserable as the first half.

The Ford Motor Company, said its sales rose 17 percent last month from a year ago, marking the first time since 2006 that Ford’s sales rose in two consecutive months. Its sales rose 2.3 percent in July.

Ford also said its retail market share, which excludes bulk deliveries to businesses and governments, rose for the 10th time in 11 months.Hyundai, the South Korean carmaker, said its sales jumped 47 percent last month to a record-high.

But the clunkers program was not enough for some companies to even match their 2008 numbers. General Motors said its sales fell 20 percent from last August, and Chrysler reported a 15 percent decline. Both companies are trying to recover from their short stints in bankruptcy protection several months ago.Toyota and others are scheduled to report August sales later Tuesday.

At Ford, sales of the F-series, a large pickup truck popular among building contractors, rose for the first time since October 2006, a positive sign for the automotive market and the broader economy, the company said. Ford sold 13 percent more of the F-series and 57 percent more of a smaller pickup, the Ranger.

“It may be a glimmer of hope,” Ken Czubay, Ford’s vice president of marketing, sales and service in the United States, said on a conference call. “We believe the 4th quarter will be better than the second quarter and the first half of this year. The light is beginning to shine on a brighter economic base for the United States.”

Maybe the auto bailout was doomed from the start. Anyway now that cash for clunkers front loaded car sales we can expect a precipitous drop coming in the fall. As for the consumers, Rasmussen all but predicted this result:

March 8th 2009- Just 32% of American adults now have a favorable opinion of General Motors. That’s down 10 points from 42% a month ago and down 37 points from 69% two years ago.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 60% have an unfavorable opinion of the struggling auto giant, including 23% with a Very Unfavorable view. A month ago, just 49% held a negative opinion of General Motors.Chrysler, the other auto company currently being kept afloat by federal loans, is viewed favorably by 33% and unfavorably by 59%. A month ago, those numbers were 36% and 54% respectively.

July 27-2009 Public opposition to the auto bailouts may translating into consumer buying decisions, with 46% of Americans now saying they are more likely to buy a car from Ford because it did not take government money to stay in business

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 13% say they are less likely to buy a Ford because the company didn’t receive a bailout, and 37% say it has no impact on their car buying.At the same time, nearly one-out-of-five Americans (19%) say someone in their family or a friend has chosen not to buy a car from GM or Chrysler because they took bailout money. Fifty-six percent (56%) say family or friends have not steered clear of GM or Chrysler for this reason, but 26% are not sure.

August 24th 2009 -Sixty-three percent (63%) of voters in the home state of the Big Three automakers say Ford will be the most successful of the companies in five years’ time.A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in Michigan finds that just 17% say General Motors will be the most successful of the three at the end of that period, while five percent (5%) say Chrysler will come out on top. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure.

Seventy percent (70%) of men say Ford will be the most successful, compared to 57% of women. Older voters and those earning more than $40,000 per year generally have more confidence in Ford than in the other two companies.Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Republicans and 70% of voters not affiliated with either major party say Ford will be the most successful in five years. A majority of Democrats (54%) agree, but they have more confidence in General Motors that Republicans and unaffiliateds do.