Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
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From: Chicagoland IL
Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
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Ford: GM didn’t win ’05 sales crown -- we did
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Ford Motor Co. says its Ford brand actually outsold Chevrolet in 2005. Ford will demand that Chevrolet stop advertising itself as America’s top brand, a company official said.
But General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner responded Sunday that GM will stand by sales data showing Chevrolet won the 2005 sales crown.
R.L. Polk & Co. registration data received by Ford executives Saturday morning showed that Ford had 5,000 more total registrations in 2005 than Chevrolet, spokesman Jim Cain said. Ford quickly whipped up a slide on the Polk data to include in its meeting with dealers Sunday here at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention.
Chevrolet earlier reported sales of 2,651,124 vehicles in 2005. Ford’s reported sales were 2,634,041. Chevrolet has been blanketing the airwaves with commercials touting it as America’s top brand.
Ford intends to send GM a letter this week asking that Chevrolet change the ads, Cain said.
“The lesson here is to make sure that all the facts are in your favor before you make such a bold claim,” he said. “Fair is fair.”
According to Ford, Polk data show 2.630 million total registrations in 2005 compared with 2.625 million for Chevrolet. Even when medium-duty trucks are exempted, Ford still had the most registrations, Cain said.
Polk registrations show the number of vehicles registered by retail and fleet customers. The earlier data released by the manufacturers reflect sales as reported by dealers.
A GM spokeswoman said sales data are the industry standard and that there are always discrepancies between sales and registration data. Wagoner said GM will stand by its claim based on sales data.
“All I know is the data we published and we all go by,” Wagoner said. “That’s been out a month or so. Our data is right. It’s published, public data, which has come out.”
Ford: GM didn’t win ’05 sales crown -- we did
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Ford Motor Co. says its Ford brand actually outsold Chevrolet in 2005. Ford will demand that Chevrolet stop advertising itself as America’s top brand, a company official said.
But General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner responded Sunday that GM will stand by sales data showing Chevrolet won the 2005 sales crown.
R.L. Polk & Co. registration data received by Ford executives Saturday morning showed that Ford had 5,000 more total registrations in 2005 than Chevrolet, spokesman Jim Cain said. Ford quickly whipped up a slide on the Polk data to include in its meeting with dealers Sunday here at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention.
Chevrolet earlier reported sales of 2,651,124 vehicles in 2005. Ford’s reported sales were 2,634,041. Chevrolet has been blanketing the airwaves with commercials touting it as America’s top brand.
Ford intends to send GM a letter this week asking that Chevrolet change the ads, Cain said.
“The lesson here is to make sure that all the facts are in your favor before you make such a bold claim,” he said. “Fair is fair.”
According to Ford, Polk data show 2.630 million total registrations in 2005 compared with 2.625 million for Chevrolet. Even when medium-duty trucks are exempted, Ford still had the most registrations, Cain said.
Polk registrations show the number of vehicles registered by retail and fleet customers. The earlier data released by the manufacturers reflect sales as reported by dealers.
A GM spokeswoman said sales data are the industry standard and that there are always discrepancies between sales and registration data. Wagoner said GM will stand by its claim based on sales data.
“All I know is the data we published and we all go by,” Wagoner said. “That’s been out a month or so. Our data is right. It’s published, public data, which has come out.”
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2,977
From: SeVa
Re: Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
- Hey Billy, your company is going to hell in a hand basket and your worrying about some frivolous crap like that! Get a clue and do something more productive like saving Ford's *** before it becomes Ford by Hyundai
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,180
From: Yadkinville, NC USA
Re: Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
I doubt seriously if Bill Ford knew, suspected, or even questioned any of the figures involved. He really doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who looks for "excuses".
I think we have to blame this one on the marketing boys...
Stretching for some good PR material if you ask me.
In all fairness - Ford should drop it. They will come across as whiners instead of victorians.
Also, I think GM should drop their ads about being the #1 brand too...
Yeah right, they are the #1 brand and were chosen more than any other brand last year... since they were giving them away, losing money on every unit, and totalled over $8-billion in loses doing it.
Like Omegalock said - they both better stop d1ck1ng-around with each other, and start looking at the bigger picture.
PERSONALLY - I'd like to see Ford and GM come to a gentleman's agreement to stop attacking each other in all their ads, and commit to going against imports instead. If it's a Ford truck ad, they should ONLY compare themselves to the Nissan, Toyota, and such. If it's a GM car ad, they should pit themselves against Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc.
I hate seeing domestics fight against domestics...
I think we have to blame this one on the marketing boys...
Stretching for some good PR material if you ask me.
In all fairness - Ford should drop it. They will come across as whiners instead of victorians.
Also, I think GM should drop their ads about being the #1 brand too...
Yeah right, they are the #1 brand and were chosen more than any other brand last year... since they were giving them away, losing money on every unit, and totalled over $8-billion in loses doing it.
Like Omegalock said - they both better stop d1ck1ng-around with each other, and start looking at the bigger picture.
PERSONALLY - I'd like to see Ford and GM come to a gentleman's agreement to stop attacking each other in all their ads, and commit to going against imports instead. If it's a Ford truck ad, they should ONLY compare themselves to the Nissan, Toyota, and such. If it's a GM car ad, they should pit themselves against Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc.
I hate seeing domestics fight against domestics...
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Joined: Dec 1997
Posts: 2,147
From: Sterling Heights, MI, USA
Re: Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
Sound a little familiar?
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...=2006602130384
In 1998, a similar dispute between Lincoln, which is owned by Ford, and Cadillac, which is owned by General Motors Corp., ended with an apology.
At the time, GM executives sent Ford a letter saying the company was sorry for fabricating its sales numbers in its zeal to take the crown as the top luxury maker in the United States.
At the time, GM executives sent Ford a letter saying the company was sorry for fabricating its sales numbers in its zeal to take the crown as the top luxury maker in the United States.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,713
From: The Golden State
Re: Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
Sure does sound familiar, Chris. 
I really don't know why Ford is bothered by all this. Just like when they decided not to keep Lincoln competitive with Cadillac, Ford is now shrinking their way to profitability. There's a mere 5000 vehicles in question. Was Ford expecting everyone else to sit still while they cut or stopped investing in models or car lines or while they "Shrank themselves to profitability"??
Chevy has the HHR, SSR, Cobalt SS, Corvette, V8 Impala SSs, and the Malibu Maxx, which although aren't blistering sales numbers, add alot of excitement (and traffic) to Chevy showrooms and advertisements. Mustang and Fusion are it at Ford. Ford Killed Thunderbird years before they're able to replace it (and lost it's sales numbers), took the cheap way out making the new Focus look like the old Focus (losing more numbers), hasn't done any appearence changes on the Crown Vic in nearly a decade (giving Chrysler an opening), and replacing a Taurus that even today still sells at 200K per year with a even more dull Five Hundred that's no where near that.
I really like to see good competition between our own makes and foreign brands, but when you are seemingly doing everything possible to cut your sales volume, perhaps it's time to quit whining and either get competitive or be resigned to a lower position.
I really don't know why Ford is bothered by all this. Just like when they decided not to keep Lincoln competitive with Cadillac, Ford is now shrinking their way to profitability. There's a mere 5000 vehicles in question. Was Ford expecting everyone else to sit still while they cut or stopped investing in models or car lines or while they "Shrank themselves to profitability"??
Chevy has the HHR, SSR, Cobalt SS, Corvette, V8 Impala SSs, and the Malibu Maxx, which although aren't blistering sales numbers, add alot of excitement (and traffic) to Chevy showrooms and advertisements. Mustang and Fusion are it at Ford. Ford Killed Thunderbird years before they're able to replace it (and lost it's sales numbers), took the cheap way out making the new Focus look like the old Focus (losing more numbers), hasn't done any appearence changes on the Crown Vic in nearly a decade (giving Chrysler an opening), and replacing a Taurus that even today still sells at 200K per year with a even more dull Five Hundred that's no where near that.
I really like to see good competition between our own makes and foreign brands, but when you are seemingly doing everything possible to cut your sales volume, perhaps it's time to quit whining and either get competitive or be resigned to a lower position.
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Joined: Apr 2005
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From: San Diego, CA
Re: Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
Originally Posted by guionM
I really like to see good competition between our own makes and foreign brands, but when you are seemingly doing everything possible to cut your sales volume, perhaps it's time to quit whining and either get competitive or be resigned to a lower position.
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Joined: Sep 1998
Posts: 233
Re: Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
I think Ford produces better bread and butter cars than GM. Focus and Fusion over the GM competition. Much more modern looking inside and out. Little behind engine-wise, but the 2.5L should fix that. Think Ford's products hit closer to the imports than GM does, in this class.
Of course, everybody that I give advice to when it comes time for a new car have ended up with a Honda or Toyota. Bah!
-B
Of course, everybody that I give advice to when it comes time for a new car have ended up with a Honda or Toyota. Bah!
-B
Last edited by Beanboy; Feb 13, 2006 at 11:28 AM.
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Posts: 1,178
From: Payson, AZ USA
Re: Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
You betcha........... that standard Impala, Malibu, Monte Carlo, and Cobalt are excitement personified.
If you think the Fusion is dull............ what does that make the Malibu???
Why don't we just agree that neither are making excitement by the bucketload........... ok??
If you think the Fusion is dull............ what does that make the Malibu???
Why don't we just agree that neither are making excitement by the bucketload........... ok??
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Joined: Feb 1999
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From: Springfield,OH. U.S.A.
Re: Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
They both need to design more "gotta have" cars, but I think GM is leading the way. Though neither have the right to brag much yet, and they both know how inacurate stats can be. The focus should be on fending off foreign competition as said. They have the home team advantage, yet seem to follow imports, being somewhat outta touch with what the bulk of people are looking for, not just settling for.
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Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Sterling Heights, MI
Re: Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
Originally Posted by 94LightningGal
You betcha........... that standard Impala, Malibu, Monte Carlo, and Cobalt are excitement personified.
I agree that the Chevy FWD SS cars aren't exactly what I'd like to see....but to an enthusiast they're far more appealing than anything Ford has short of the Mustang.
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Joined: Aug 2004
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Re: Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
Originally Posted by Z28Wilson
The point was, the uplevel (SS) models of those vehicles do generate some interest in the lineup as a whole. NASCAR guys like the MC SS, and I can't tell you how many NASCAR stickered/Dale Earnhart edition Montes I've seen (you can't even buy a "Tortoise" anymore, can you?).
I agree that the Chevy FWD SS cars aren't exactly what I'd like to see....but to an enthusiast they're far more appealing than anything Ford has short of the Mustang.
I agree that the Chevy FWD SS cars aren't exactly what I'd like to see....but to an enthusiast they're far more appealing than anything Ford has short of the Mustang.
In the end, i really think Ford is on its way to making better cars (impressed with new fusion, mustang, and euro focus which should be here soon), but they need to take SVT and performance more seriously. I was really dissapointed with the news i heard last week (death of the SVT Sporttrac). And it's not just Ford, it's Lincoln as well....Ford is just slowly sapping what little life is left in it.
In general, Ford is greatly improving their bread and butter models as BeanBoy put it, and that's great, but we enthusiasts want more than simple great appliences. Both Ford and Chevy need to inject more excitement into their lineups, but right now, it seems Ford needs it more than Chevy.
That's my honest opinion and i'm a 50:50 Ford/Chevy guy
.
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,178
From: Payson, AZ USA
Re: Ford says Chevy is NOT number one.
Now, I do realize that the Impala SS has the V8. However, what does the Malibu SS have, that makes it more "gotta have" than the V6 Fusion??? (as they are in the same class). 240hp vs 221???
For MY2007, the Fusion will have AWD available. Malibu???
I will grant that the new Malibu is not hideous, like last years............ but it is still FAR from "exciting." Invisible is more like it.
Again, I am not saying that Fords are more exciting, although I do think the Fusions driving dynamics are pretty damn good (just short of a Mazda 6)......... just that Chevy doesn't have much to write home about either.
For MY2007, the Fusion will have AWD available. Malibu???
I will grant that the new Malibu is not hideous, like last years............ but it is still FAR from "exciting." Invisible is more like it.
Again, I am not saying that Fords are more exciting, although I do think the Fusions driving dynamics are pretty damn good (just short of a Mazda 6)......... just that Chevy doesn't have much to write home about either.