Ford Motor Company saw its US sales rise 33% in December amid steady market share gains, the car maker said today.
Ford said it posted its first full-year market share gain since 1995 as December marked the 14th time in 15 months that the second largest US car maker increased its retail share.
The company estimated that its 2009 market share would be about 15%, a full percentage point higher than in 2008.
December sales rose to 184,655 vehicles from 139,067 a year earlier. However, total sales for 2009 were down 15.4% to 1.7 million vehicles amid a broad economic downturn.
Unlike rivals General Motors and Chrysler, Ford managed to cope with the collapse of car sales last year without resorting to bankruptcy protection or the need for billions of dollars in government aid.
Ford posted surprise earnings of nearly $1 billion in the third quarter and said it was on track to become 'solidly profitable' by 2011 after years of painful losses, drastic cost cutting and a major revamp of its product offerings.
Sales at Ford's three key brands - Ford, Lincoln and Mercury - were up 33.5% at 179,017 in December and down 15.4% in 2009 at 1.6 million. Sales at Volvo - which Ford is in the midst of selling to China's Geely - were up 13.8% in December at 5,638 and down 16% in 2009 at 61,435.
Ford said it had posted higher sales in every product category and for every brand in December, with car sales up 42%, trucks up 18% and larger sport utility vehicles up 33%.
