Ford Is Best-Selling Automaker in Q4. F-Series Is Best-Selling Truck for 45th Straight Year

In 2021 Ford sold more EVs than anyone other than Tesla. Is it just a matter of time before Ford is the best-selling EV automaker?

Today Ford released their December 2021 and full 2021 calendar year sales figures. The automaker continues to knock it out of the park especially in the EV market. December 2021 sales were down compared to December 2020. But that is mostly due to the headwinds Ford faced with the global supply chain issues. This impacted all automakers and Ford was no exception. However, even in the face of those challenges Ford still had a strong finish to the year and an impressive year overall, taking the best-selling trophy in several categories.

Ford has a group of hot new vehicles that are driving sales to new levels. The Mustang Mach-E, the new Bronco, and the Maverick are flying off the lots. This helped Ford to claim the top step on the podium and made them the best-selling automaker in Q4. Ford sold 508,451 vehicles in the fourth quarter. That is a 26.8 percent increase from Q3. It is more impressive when you consider the overall industry declined by 3 percent during the same timeframe.

F-Series Does It Again

Predicting that the F-Series will be the best-selling truck in America is like predicting that you will have to pay taxes. It is not a matter of IF; it is a matter of HOW MUCH. And in 2021 Ford sold 726,004 F-Series trucks. That is 156,616 more than the second-place competitor. That makes 45 years straight that Ford took this crown. The F-Series is also the best-selling vehicle in America for 40 years in a row. You have to go back to Generation X if you want to talk to anyone that was alive the last time the F-Series was not the best seller.

It’s Electric

Ford is aiming to be the top EV automaker in the world. And based on the numbers they may have a real shot at it soon. Ford EV sales grew 36 percent faster than the segment overall in 2021. They hit a new sales record for the month of December and 2021 as a whole. Only Tesla sold more full electric vehicles than Ford in 2021. Tesla has been in the EV game a lot longer, but Ford is making great strides. With all the investments Ford has going into the EVs they could topple Tesla as the number one EV automaker at some point. The F-150 Lightning and E-Transit sales will begin this year. We expect with that the gap to Tesla will narrow further.

The New Stuff

The Ford Maverick tallied 6,030 sales in December which is an increase of 134 percent from November. The Mustang Mach-E sales totaled 27,140 vehicles in 2021. This makes the Mach-E the nation’s second best-selling full electric SUV behind Tesla’s Model Y. Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport sales continue to increase. Bronco sales totaled 9,168 in December which is a 10.6 percent increase over the month before. Bronco and Bronco Sport sales combined were 15,446 for the month of December. “Combined sales of Mustang Mach E, Bronco, Bronco Sport and Maverick totaled 23,825 vehicles in December, representing 14.2 percent of the overall Ford brand portfolio.”

Lincoln

Don’t sleep on the Lincoln brand. Lincoln also enjoyed some strong sales figures last year. The Nautilus sales increased by 11 percent compared to 2020. The Corsair saw sales increase by 28.4 percent in December compared to November. The Navigator saw a sales bump of 26.3 percent.

Inventory

More good news. As we all know actual vehicles on dealer lots and customer driveways has been a challenge over the past year. However, Ford is showing some improvements in this area as well. “Ford begins 2022 with 247,000 vehicles in stock – up 22,000 from November and the best stock position in the industry.” In addition, in-transit inventory of the Bronco and Bronco Sport is up 14.4 and 124 percent, respectively. Hopefully that bodes well for customers waiting to get their new Ford in 2022.

2021 Sales Summary

Strong. That is the one-word summary for Ford sales in 2021. “Ford finished the year strong, as the only U.S. automaker hitting the half million sales mark in the fourth quarter, making Ford America’s best-selling automaker. On the strong success of Mustang Mach-E, Ford jumped into second place in U.S. electric vehicle sales behind just Tesla. Last year was a foundational year for Ford in the electrified vehicle segment and this year we continue to expand, adding the F-150 Lightning and E-Transit to our electric vehicle lineup. Looking to the new year, Ford had just over 70,000 new vehicle orders in December, which will provide continued momentum into 2022.” Said Andrew Frick, vice president, Ford Sales U.S. and Canada. Ford has been on a roll lately and they look well positioned to be a serious player in the new EV world we are all moving towards.

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Joe Kucinski

Joe has been obsessed with cars since he got his very first Matchbox toy in the ‘70s. In 2003, he found a new obsession in track days that led to obtaining his SCCA competition license in 2015. In 2019, he became a certified driving instructor for the National Auto Sport Association. His love for all things four wheels has never wavered, whether it's driving some of the best cars in the world on the racetrack, tackling 2,000-mile road trips in 2-seat sports cars or being winched off the side of a mountaintop in a Jeep. Writing for the suite of Internet Brands Auto Communities sites, including Rennlist.com, Ford Truck Enthusiasts, 6 Speed and more allows him to share that knowledge and passion with others.