Ford Falcon makes a slow recovery in March

The Falcon is on track to reach a new low watermark this year -- but imported vehicles could save the day for Ford Australia.

Having recorded its weakest sales in the 50-year history of the nameplate in 2010, the Falcon has gotten off to an even slower start in 2011.

Official figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries for the first three months of the year show that Falcon sedan sales are down by 39 per cent, while sales of Falcon ute are down by 25 per cent.

Ford sold just 1719 Falcons in March -- less than half the Holden Commodore's tally -- but this at least was 9 per cent up on February's result of 1572 sales and 48 per cent up on January's result of 1157 sales (likely the weakest month on record for the nameplate in 50 years).

The Falcon is struggling so much that the Ford Fiesta is just 684 sales away from overtaking it as Ford's top-seller locally (4448 sales so far this year compared to 3764).

The president of Ford Australia, Robert Graziano, told the Carsales Network: "Falcon sales have been going up each month this year, so we're heading in the right direction. And sales of our imported products are up year-on-year. We've had our best four-cylinder range volumes since the 1980s."

Ford overall is up 3.4 per cent in a market that is down by 1.3 per cent, largely thanks to strong performances from the Fiesta city car (up 25 per cent), the Focus small car (up 47 per cent), the Mondeo medium sized car (up 44 per cent) and the 4WD Ranger ute (up 95 per cent).

Graziano said it should be noted that this year's Falcon sales are affected by the lack of a wagon and the temporary lack of an LPG option which, he said, contributed to "a few hundred" sales each month.

A replacement LPG model is due in July, ahead of a minor facelift for the Falcon in October.

Graziano said the rental market was weaker than expected this year. "Rental [sales] was much bigger last year than it was this year, so that's had an impact on us. They're all contributing factors," he said.

After slowing production to three days a week during most of March the Broadmeadows factory is back to a five-day production cycle.

"We expect Falcon sales to improve again next month," he said, but would not speculate if Falcon would eclipse 2000 sales in April.

Meanwhile, Ford hopes the new Territory will give Broadmeadows a much needed production boost -- but it's unlikely to completely fill the void left by the Falcon.

In its best ever year -- 2005 -- Ford sold 23,454 Territorys. But last year the tally dropped to 11,558.

Meanwhile, the four-cylinder Falcon has been delayed until 2012 because it won't be ready in time for the October facelift.

"Rather than launch it very late in the year, we decided to hold it back until the start of next year so we can get the most attention on that vehicle," Graziano said.

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