Ford's U.S. sales top GM's - Page 2

*DGthe3* · 03-08-2010, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Why would a company "push away" from any kind of sale? They're in business to "sell".

No, they're in the business to make money. Fleet sales aren't nearly as profitable as sales to actual customers. They are often heavily discounted (due to volume) and rarely have many options.

coolman · 03-08-2010, 01:47 PM

Feet sales are customers. Big ones. I don't know why this shouldn't count. The feet customers could have bought any brand they wanted and chose to buy fords.

MEDISIN · 03-08-2010, 02:13 PM

Fleet sales should certainly count. They're just not as profitable for Ford as selling to the consumer. You get base model, no frills car and the dealer misses the opportunity to sell any number of accessories (needed or not).

As a current driver of a fleet Ford (well Mercury) sedan, I'd rather choose another Ford (Fusion) than the other options: Prius or Camry hybrid.

Angrybird 12 · 03-08-2010, 02:40 PM

Well many companies had delayed purchasing their fleet vehicles until they saw things were improving.. I would venture to say that a majority will keep their fleet vehicles longer now than before, so this spike in fleet sales may just be a market correction so to speak...

derklug · 03-12-2010, 01:28 AM

Fleet sales for a car company are like turning used cars for a small dealership. We used to buy no starts at auctions, take them back to the shop and fix them, and then take the cars back to the auction. We didn't make much of a profit, but it kept the mechanics paid, inventory moving, and let you hold on till things picked up.

UCI CamaroFan · 03-12-2010, 02:38 AM

Congrats to ford.

I bought their stock in my virtual portfolio.

03-08-2010, 02:40 PM	#18
Angrybird 12 7 year Cancer Survivor! Drives: 17 Cruze RS, 07 G6 GT, 99 Astro Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: East Tennessee Posts: 21,546	Well many companies had delayed purchasing their fleet vehicles until they saw things were improving.. I would venture to say that a majority will keep their fleet vehicles longer now than before, so this spike in fleet sales may just be a market correction so to speak... __________________ Cancer's a bitch! Enjoy life while you can! LIVE, LOVE, DRIVE... The Bird is the word!

03-12-2010, 01:28 AM	#19
derklug Drives: 12 Boss 302 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Grand Rapids, Mi Posts: 1,369	Fleet sales for a car company are like turning used cars for a small dealership. We used to buy no starts at auctions, take them back to the shop and fix them, and then take the cars back to the auction. We didn't make much of a profit, but it kept the mechanics paid, inventory moving, and let you hold on till things picked up. __________________ The biggest mistakes in life come when you know exactly what you are doing.

03-12-2010, 02:38 AM	#20
UCI CamaroFan Zot! Drives: Toyota 4Runner Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Orange County, California Posts: 1,317	Congrats to ford. I bought their stock in my virtual portfolio. __________________

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03-08-2010, 01:47 PM	#16
coolman Guest Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: PA Posts: 4,812	Feet sales are customers. Big ones. I don't know why this shouldn't count. The feet customers could have bought any brand they wanted and chose to buy fords.

03-08-2010, 02:13 PM	#17
MEDISIN Drives: 2011 CTS-V Sedan Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Posts: 1,505 View My Garage	Fleet sales should certainly count. They're just not as profitable for Ford as selling to the consumer. You get base model, no frills car and the dealer misses the opportunity to sell any number of accessories (needed or not). As a current driver of a fleet Ford (well Mercury) sedan, I'd rather choose another Ford (Fusion) than the other options: Prius or Camry hybrid.