Ford passes Chevrolet in dealership count for the first time in years

Ford is charging full steam ahead, and has now overtaken Chevrolet in number of dealerships, for the first time in a long time. “That’s really new,” says John Frith, vice president of Urban Science, an automotive consultancy. “It’s the first time I can remember that happening.”

At the end of 2010, Ford stood tight with 3,131 dealerships, compared to Chevrolet’s 3,084. The main cause for Chevy’s reduction is the restructuring the company went through as a result of bankruptcy in 2009. Ford also outsold Chevrolet 1,726,349 units to 1,563,963 in 2010.

Chrysler is taking a slightly different approach with its dealerships, and attempting to bundle all of their brands into single dealerships. 86% of Chrysler’s dealers now carry all four brands.

While the Americans have been scaling back dealerships, other growing brands are increasing their networks.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Wards Auto