Where have all the Fords gone?

[Skeptisk]

When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s Fords were ubiquitous: Cortinas, Escorts, Fiestas and Granadas were everywhere. Nowadays there are still Fords on the road but they seem few and far between.

I just checked the numbers. It seems that in 1980, four of the ten best selling cars were Fords. Surprisingly the best selling car in 2024 was a Ford (Puma), but it was the only one in the top ten. However the numbers were very different. There were 190,000 Cortinas sold in 1980 compared to just over 40,000 Pumas in 2024.

Probably for the best as Fords in the 70s and 80s were a bit ste (like most other cars of the time). I think much more choice today and a much more fragmented market.

[alangla]

Still see plenty of Transits and Ranger pickups. Saw my first new Capri last week, total abomination and an insult to the name. Apart from that, it’s rare to see a new Ford car on the road.

[John87]

I think the pumas are all near me. Feels like every second car is a grey one.

There are also lots of Rangers around here although most are owned by the nomadic community.

On the EV side I've seen one new Capri which my wife thought was a Polestar and that's about it

[48k]

Skeptisk said:

When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s Fords were ubiquitous: Cortinas, Escorts, Fiestas and Granadas were everywhere. Nowadays there are still Fords on the road but they seem few and far between.

I just checked the numbers. It seems that in 1980, four of the ten best selling cars were Fords. Surprisingly the best selling car in 2024 was a Ford (Puma), but it was the only one in the top ten. However the numbers were very different. There were 190,000 Cortinas sold in 1980 compared to just over 40,000 Pumas in 2024.

Probably for the best as Fords in the 70s and 80s were a bit ste (like most other cars of the time). I think much more choice today and a much more fragmented market.

Your last sentence is probably the answer. Much more choice these days. Plus Ford's best selling vehicle is a van (Transit Custom), they pretty much own the LGV market with over 40% market share.

[Timothy Bucktu]

I suspect the wet belt nightmare has ruined their reputation. That and reusing iconic names on their modern soulless offerings. Why would you buy a boring mundane Ford, when a boring mundane Kia is better value and cheaper?

[av185]

Because PCP.

[119]

Loads around, although one does flood quite badly after prolonged rain.

[Scrump]

I don't think we two threads discussing the same question.
Let's stick to this one:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...