July 6, 1999 – Ford Truck Sales up 8% in June, Taurus, Mustang & Cougar among top cars

OAKVILLE, Ont., July 5, 1999 – More Canadians purchased
or leased Ford trucks last month than any other June this century.
Record sales of 20,668 were up eight percent, propelling Ford
of Canada to its sixth straight month of increased truck sales.
In addition, a new January-to-June record of 103,806 truck deliveries
— up 12 percent versus 92,644 in 1998 – was established.

Strength in trucks was nearly matched by car sales
as Ford Taurus and Mustang, Mercury Cougar and Grand Marquis,
saw double-digit increases. The new Lincoln LS burst onto the
luxury sports sedan market with 106 deliveries and over 1,000
accumulated orders; sales of Lincoln’s flagship Town Car rose
by 160 percent.

A planned reduction in fleet sales, however, saw
June car sales of 11,316 fall by 393 units, or 3.4 percent, from
last year’s 11,709. Year-to-date car sales of 48,214 were off
14.3 percent against 56,280 in 1998.

Combined June car and truck sales of 31,984 represented
a 3.7 percent improvement versus 30,851 last June. Year-to-date
total sales of 152,020 were 2.1 percent better than 148,924 sales
during the same period in 1998.

"Ford of Canada expects sales to remain strong
for the balance of 1999, particularly as we prepare to launch
new and exciting 2000 model-year brands such as Ford Focus, Excursion
and the redesigned and re-engineered Ford Taurus," notes
Bobbie Gaunt, president and chief executive officer, Ford Motor
Company of Canada, Limited.