Ford beats GM in US auto sales race
The upset came as overall US auto sales continue to rebound strongly, rising for the sixth consecutive quarter. March sales increased 13 percent from the same month a year before.
Automakers said sales were boosted by a strong shift towards fuel-efficient vehicles amid rising oil prices.
Firm demand for Ford's updated truck line and its low-gas vehicles helped boost sales 19 percent in March from a year ago, to 212,777 vehicles.
That was 6,156 more vehicles than GM sold.
"Consumers are voting with their wallets," said Ken Czubay, who heads Ford's sales and marketing.
Ford last outsold GM in February 2010, but by a margin of just 471 vehicles.
GM also lost the top spot in July 1998 when it was hobbled by a strike at supplier Delphi Corporation and was outsold by Ford by 83,883 vehicles, the trade publication said.
"I don't think it shows a definitive turn, but how competitive the market is," Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with IHS Global Insight, told AFP.
GM has been the top seller in the US market on an annual basis since 1931, according to Automotive News Data Center.
But its crown has been under a determined assault in recent years.
Toyota ended GM's 77-year reign as the world's largest automaker in 2008.
Both GM and Ford have undergone several rounds of intense restructuring After Asian makers wrested away market share and consumers shifted away from their former cash cows -- the gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles which fueled their profits in the 1990s.
Unlike GM and Chrysler, Ford did not seek government help to survive the 2008 financial crisis and recession.
GM emerged from a government-backed bankruptcy in July 2009 as a stronger but significantly smaller company.
Chrysler, which also came out of taxpayer-funded bankruptcy reorganization in 2009, posted a 31 percent increase in March sales to 92,623 vehicles.
It was Chrysler's best month since May 2008 and the 12th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases.
Toyota, however, reported a 5.7 percent drop in March sales, to 176,222 units. But its first quarter ended with a 12.5 percent gain at 433,924.
"Our sales momentum continued in March and contributed to a strong first-quarter close. With improving purchase intentions and healthy inventory levels heading into April, we feel confident about our sales outlook," said Bob Carter, head of Toyota Motor Sales, USA.
Japanese rival Honda posted an 18.9 percent increase in sales to 133,650 vehicles in its sixth straight month of double-digit US sales growth.
Supply problems resulting from Japan's March 11 quake disaster did not appear to have made a significant impact on the market.
"Based on everything we see right now we don't see anything that's going to slow down the industry," said Don Johnson, who heads GM's US sales operations, in a conference call.
"I don't see a big change in consumer demand unless something very dramatic comes out of Japan."
While Ford will slow and slightly alter production plans in the coming weeks as a result of disruptions in the supply of parts from Japanese companies, it said global production plans remain unchanged.
"We're working with our suppliers on a daily basis to minimize disruptions to our operations," said Ford sales analyst George Pipas in a conference call.
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