Ford raised quite a few eyebrows with its Q2 2025 sales report earlier this month, as The Blue Oval posted a super strong 14.2 percent sales increase across that time period. Much of that success came from the red-hot Ford Maverick, as well as Lincoln, as the automaker’s luxury arm recorded its best second-quarter sales results in a whopping 18 years. Truck, SUV, and hybrid sales helped lead the way overall, even as EV sales dipped, success that most have attributed to the highly-successful employee pricing for everyone incentive. However, Ford CEO Jim Farley recently praised the company’s dealers for helping to drive this sales success.
“It’s very clear, in Ford’s case, that our bet on the dealership was the right bet,” Farley said during a local event recently, according to the Detroit Free Press. “That’s all because our dealers can take an Edge customer and say, ‘Would you be interested in a Mach-E?’ That’s salesmanship that we can’t do at the company. Whether it’s remote service, Triple Crown awards, training … it’s all done together. We do it together with our dealers. That’s the secret sauce.”Â
“That’s why I go on our traveling tour to meet every dealer in the country. I don’t delegate that to someone else. These are our customers. I’m going to meet every one of them and if you’re not a CEO doing that, I don’t know how you are successful as a (manufacturer) because some of those programs work, some of them don’t. We have to make a lot of adjustments.”
It’s no secret that The Blue Oval’s extremely successful employee pricing for everyone incentive – which ended last week – played a massive role in driving these sales as well, doubling dealer showroom traffic and proving quite popular with customers. However, Farley is quick to note that unlike some of Ford’s rivals – such as Tesla and Rivian – the automaker also has a vast dealer network that it can rely on, too.
Comments
Farley needs to go!
Giving credit to dealers is admirable, but that Edge example was cringeworthy. I’m afraid that must have been the answer when dealers asked what they were supposed to tell the returning Edge customer who discovered their favorite car was discontinued with no comparable replacement” “Sell them a Mach-E.” The local Chevy dealer says thanks.
Yes! Thank the dealer for marking up sticker prices and trying to force you to buy “Dealer Add ons” etc and marking up peoples finance rate. These are the same dealers that don’t know jack about their products but spend most of their time trying to Nickle and dime the Ford customer. Yes, Thank those people.
What? These dealerships are ghost towns. Sales people have all quit. Lots over filled with vehicles covered in dirt and bird droppings.
I work for a Ford dealer. Your words are the mark of an idiot.
The only reason they have sold so many vehicles is because of the employee pricing which helps bring the price down to something that is a bit more affordable.
I wonder what will happen to their sales when this promotion and the new summer promotion ends and it’s back to “normal” pricing.
Normal rebates and dealer discounts are about the same as employee pricing. Ford is now offering 0% financing and 90 day deferred payments.