Figures released by VFACTS show that the radical styling of the AU is rapidly being accepted in the public eye. Falcon sales for January `99 were up 8 percent on January 1998. The swing by private buyers towards the Falcon has been evident in recent months, with nearly three Falcon Futuras driving out of showroom doors for every one Holden Acclaim sold.

Helping to boost Ford’s performance was the hot selling Festiva, which helped the company to the top of the passenger sales charts in January, capturing nearly 55 per cent of the light car market.

Ford sold 7172 cars in January, outselling its nearest rival by more than 1000 units, and defied an overall downward trend in industry sales to record an increase in total sales of more than 8 per cent over January 1998. All three of its major competitors recorded drops in volume.

In January, the Festiva was the hottest selling hatch in the land, with a record 2530, which was 632 more than its nearest competitor.

In the light truck sector, strong sales of the Transit van helped Ford to leadership of the van segment, where it captured 31.1% of the market.

Ford Australia President David Morgan said the results were particularly pleasing. "Given that we have three brand new models on sale in the first quarter of ‘99, the year is off to a bright start." He said.

Overall, Ford sold 8591 vehicles in January, up from 7805 for the same period last year.