Ford Wins Truck Bragging Rights While GM Rolls Out New Big Rigs

(Bloomberg) — Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Co. is saying low number of fast to Automobile Co (NYSE:GM).’s claim they total U.S. truck sales leadership.

In the 1st quarter, Ford delivered more F-Series pickups than GM sold Chevrolet Silverado, Colorado and GMC Sierra and Canyon trucks. GM has tallied up its total volume from the four models recent years and stacked them facing Ford’s F-Series to assert superiority, including within the investor day in January.

The outcomes are a bit of a shock, ever since the F-150 may be the oldest light-duty truck line in Detroit. GM and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV rolled out redesigned versions with their full-size pickups during the past year and are ramping up production. But Ford has fresh metal in showrooms, having only revived the mid-size Ranger that started selling in January. This new accessory for the lineup can help Ford to maintain onto its early lead over the entire year.

“We knew i was likely to be facing intense competition,” Mark LaNeve, Ford’s U.S. sales chief, said inside a phone interview. “We’re delighted that so far, we’ve withstood it pretty much.”

The F-Series have been the best-selling model line inside the U.S. for nearly 40 years. As Ford abandons the normal sedan market, it’s key how the company protect its full-size truck turf and reclaim most of the ground abandoned within the mid-size pickup segment it sat rid of for seven years.

In January, Ford said the operating-profit margin due to its worldwide truck and van business was 14 percent in 2019, miles prior to the 4.4 % margin the provider earned all its auto operations during the past year.

Ford started April with 84 days source of F-Series in inventory, in accordance with Automotive News Data Center. GM had 128 events of Silverado and 109 events of Sierra supply, while Fiat Chrysler had 134 times of Ram pickups.

LaNeve, Ford’s sales chief, said the company is “very comfortable” where it’s at regarding truck inventory.

“I really do not worry that could be a precursor to more aggressive activity in the market,” LaNeve said. “All three of us build many pickups which you could adjust production so quickly. They’re able to take the time down by adjusting production is a lot easier than spending more incentive money. I’m not really predicting they may make this happen.”

While GM could have lost the first-quarter truck battle, this hadn’t decrease without some fighting words. Jim Cain, a spokesman, said Ford’s total vehicle sales to retail customers — excluding deliveries to rental-car companies and various fleet buyers — ranked fifth in March, behind GM, Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., and Fiat Chrysler.

“If I were Ford and my retail sales had fallen to No. 5 in the marketplace, I don’t know I will crow a whole lot about the success of one product,” Cain said in an email.