Ford ups new car registrations by half in Romania, wants 8% market share

American car maker Ford saw a 51% higher number of new car registrations in Romania in the first eight months of this year. About 4,600 Ford cars were registered in Romania during this period, up from some 3,000 during the same period of 2013. The increase registered by Ford was higher than the general market increase, of 23.4%, according to the company. Ford Fiesta was the most popular model – 1,787 units registered, followed by Focus – 1,084 units, while Mondeo sold only 329 units. “We hope to keep the same pace until the end of the year, so as to reach a market share above 8%. I still believe the sale of new cars, which are energy efficient and less pollutant, needs to be encouraged,” said Zoltan Brassai, general manager of Ford Romania – the National Sales Company. Fleet sales still dominate, with over 60% of new Ford cars registered this year being part of such fleets, but retail customers show increasing interest too. The national ‘cash for clunkers’ program, aimed at retail clients who replace their old cars, started in April this year, compared to June in 2013, which helped retail sales. Car registrations up in Romania, but second-hand cars still dominate market editor@romania-insider.com