What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

JAMES DALLAS'S BLOG: Ford breaks further away from the pack

Date: Thursday, March 21, 2019

With the sector coming under pressure against an unstable economic backdrop, just two of the volume brands posted a rise in sales last year, but while second-placed Volkswagen held a steady ship with a marginal increase to 42,164 registrations, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Ford broke further away from the pack by growing sales by more than 8,000 units to 126,072, to tighten its grip on a market in which it now commands a 35% share. With 54,806 registrations its bestseller, the Transit Custom, outsold Volkswagen’s entire range by more than 12,000 units.

Models bearing the blue oval badge once more topped every market sector, which is undoubtedly a reflection of Ford’s strong product line-up, but also perhaps indicates how customers stick to what they know in turbulent times, and Ford has been the UK’s number one for more than half a century.

Looking further afield, thanks to What Van?’s partnership with the International Van of the Year award, we get an insight this month into how an alliance between these two automotive giants, Ford and Volkswagen, is set to have a profound impact on the global light commercial vehicle sector. To find out more, turn to our News Analysis on page 10.

James Dallas is the Editor of What Van?