It had to happen sometime. With Americans apparently in a full-fledged panic over rising gas prices and the sagging economy, the Ford F-150 has finally been knocked off of its perch as the best-selling vehicle in a sales month for the first time since October of 1991, says Automotive News.
Ford sold 42,973 F-Series trucks in May, easily bested by the Toyota Corolla (52,826) and the Toyota Camry (51,291), while the Honda Civic (53,299) outsold both Toyotas. Civic sales were up 28.3 percent versus last May, surpassing the previous monthly record for any car in Honda's lineup.
The news of the F-150's sales slide doesn't come as a surprise, considering the seismic shift the industry has begun to experience, with consumers shunning fuel-thirsty trucks and SUVs for smaller, more efficient vehicles.
"The dramatic increase in car sales appears to be one of the most profound shifts in automotive buying patterns in more than a decade," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda in a statement announcing the Civic's sales. "Record sales of the Honda Civic clearly demonstrate an accelerated trend toward fuel efficiency."
Toyota said sales of the Corolla rose 12.4 percent in May, but overall sales of the car are down 9.5 percent during the first five months of the year as opposed to 2007. Camry sales have been at essentially the same levels as 2007.
On the plus side of the ledger for Ford, sales of the Ford Focus continue to rise, with its record May sales at 32,579, up 53 percent over a year ago. Ford Fusion sales also posted a big gain over last May, with 27 percent more Fusions moved (18,088).