Ford sales lead in Canada for first time in 50 years

Greg Keenan,  Globe and Mail Update

The bankruptcy of two Detroit auto makers helped turn the Canadian vehicle market topsy turvy last month.

Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. topped the charts ahead of perennial leader General Motors of Canada Ltd. for the first time in 50 years, while Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. outsold Chrysler Canada Inc. for the first time ever.

Ford sold 27,408 vehicles in June, which was a 25-per-cent jump on sales in June, 2008, and the first year-over-year sales increase it has posted in 2009.

Hyundai Canada enjoyed a similar 25-per-cent surge to post the best June in its history with 10,104 sales. That surpassed Chrysler, which sold 9,161 in Canada last month, just a few months after it kicked GM out of first place in February. That was the first time that Chrysler had led sales in Canada.

The changing of the guard came in a month when General Motors Corp. fell into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States and Chrysler Canada Inc. dealers were short of vehicles because that auto maker's North American plants were shut as it also went through a bankruptcy protection process in the United States.

General Motors of Canada Ltd. sales fell 31 per cent in June from year-earlier levels.

The June performance reflected the overall softness in the Canadian market, Marc Comeau, GM's vice-president of sales, service and marketing, said in a statement.