The Ford Focus was the world’s most popular car and the Ford F-series of trucks were the most popular cars in America, giving Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) good reason to be optimistic even though 2013-2015 EPS estimates have slipped slightly. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s stock price has dipped recently but it is still up for the year, increasing from $8.65 to $13.8 since this time last year for an impressive 35% one–year return.
Focus dethrones Corolla
The Ford Focus had 1.1 million sales worldwide, edging out the Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) (TYO:7203) Corolla with just over 1 million sales, reports Joann Muller at Forbes. The Corolla was the world’s most popular car in 2012, and even though it has been dethroned by the Focus, it continues to have impressive sales. The Volkswagen AG (OTCMKTS:VLKAY) (ETR:VOW) (FRA:VOW) Jetta came in third, also sold under the name Vento or Bora in some markets, came in third this year (900,000 sales), Hyundai Motor Co (KRX:005380) Elantra saw its sales jump 11% moving it into fourth place (866,000 sales) and Chevrolet Cruze, the first model that Chevrolet has really pushed on a global scale, came in fifth (729,000 sales). The list of the world’s top 10 bestselling cars is rounded out by the Toyota Camry, Volkswagen AG (OTCMKTS:VLKAY) (ETR:VOW) (FRA:VOW) Golf, Ford Fiesta, Honda CR-V, and Volkswagen Polo.
Ford also dominates US auto sales
But US auto sales paint a very different picture, with Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s F-series completely dominating a state-by-state breakdown, even though the trucks aren’t among the bestselling cars worldwide. The Toyota Corolla managed to be the top seller in a few northeastern states, report Alex Davies and Mike Nudelman for Business Insider, but no other car in the global top 5 managed to capture first place in an entire state. The Toyota Camry and Honda CR-V also managed to snag the title of best-selling car in a few states.
Coming in first both nationally and globally should give Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) reason to be proud, and it shows that Ford’s efforts to grow sales internationally have really been working. Considering the financial state of the US auto industry just a few years ago, it’s no surprise that there are rumors circulating that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) may tap Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) CEO Alan Mulally to replace outgoing Steve Ballmer next year.
