The announcement by Ford that the group recorded an increase in sales of 24 percent compared with last January has been tempered with the car manufacturer’s disappointment that more were not sold to regular customers.

The majority of the new sales were from government and rental car fleets. According to Ford, car sales for the period were up overall by a massive 43 percent but this figure was inflated by those companies who had earlier reduced their fleet sizes now buying back their lost stock.

Total sales in other areas saw crossover vehicles up by 20 percent while sports utilities recorded an 8 percent rise. The key category of truck purchases, which represent a significantly more profitable option for the manufacturer, was also up by 14 percent.

Brand sales among the group also raised, some 26 percent overall. Leading the way were the Lincoln and Mercury models which recorded 16 and 6 percent sales rises respectively. However, this was not enough to satisfy marketing vice president Ken Czubay who echoed the feelings of the automotive industry when he claimed that car makers were not able to connect with individual customers who are still coming to terms with managing their dollar in the wake of the economic downturn.

Dealerships continue to experience falling numbers as private customers still feel the effects of the recession in their pockets, while the very high profile issues with competitors such as Toyota has kept many potential new customers from buying at this time of instability.

The good news for Ford is that it continued to grow its market share in the US, with the group claiming a 2 percentage point rise to 16 percent from last January’s first increase for over a decade.