Ford’s 2025: Still Selling Metal

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They tell you the automotive industry is on the cusp of some grand transformation. Electric this, AI that. It all sounds very impressive when presented with a PowerPoint and a lukewarm continental breakfast. Honestly, it mostly feels like a lot of expensive re-arranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic. My aunt Carol, who still drives a Buick the color of bruised peaches, calls it “nonsense.” And Carol, despite her fondness for porcelain cats and daytime television, possesses a surprisingly accurate read on most things. Anyway, Ford. They sold some trucks.

It seems investors, distracted by the shiny objects and breathless pronouncements of the Tesla acolytes, almost overlooked the fact that Ford actually moved some metal in 2025. A genuine, old-fashioned, internal-combustion-powered accomplishment. It’s like discovering your grandfather still knows how to whittle. Quaint, I suppose.

A Solidly Average Performance

They’re touting a 6% jump in sales, topping 2.2 million vehicles. Which, if you’re keeping score at home, is a lot of vehicles. They even managed a 0.6 percentage point increase in market share. My neighbor, Barry, who sells timeshares, would call that a “win.” I call it…sustaining. Like breathing. It’s good you’re still doing it.

Apparently, they outperformed the industry for ten consecutive months. Ten! That’s nearly a year of not completely collapsing. The press release, predictably, was filled with phrases like “great range of products” and “power of choice.” It reminded me of a particularly desperate online dating profile.

“We’re growing share and beating the trend because we offer a great range of products, from accessible entry-level models to high-performance off-roaders. Our growth across record hybrid sales shows that our ‘power of choice’ approach offering gas, hybrid, and electric is exactly what consumers are looking for right now.”

It’s a clever line, I’ll grant them that. “Power of choice.” It implies a sort of enlightened consumerism. What they mean is they’re desperately trying to cover all their bases while the ground shifts beneath them. Like a squirrel hoarding nuts before a particularly harsh winter.

What it Means (Probably Nothing)

The F-Series, bless its rugged, American heart, sold over 820,000 units. That’s a lot of chrome and horsepower. They beat out the competition by 250,000 trucks. Although, if you add up all of General Motors’ trucks, the gap narrows. It’s a numbers game, really. Like counting pigeons in the park. Eventually, you lose track.

And here’s the kicker: trucks and SUVs, with their hefty margins, are what really keep Ford afloat. Sedans? Apparently, they’re just…there. Like background actors in a movie. Nobody really notices them.

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They’ve also decided to slow down the electric vehicle push. A sensible decision, if you ask me. All that talk of “disruption” and “revolution” was starting to feel a bit…hysterical. Turns out, building electric cars is hard. And expensive. Who knew?

Hybrid sales are up, and surprisingly profitable. Apparently, people still like the idea of saving gas without completely abandoning the familiar rumble of an engine. It’s a compromise. Like agreeing to watch a rom-com with your spouse. Nobody’s thrilled, but everyone survives.

Ultimately, Ford ended 2025 on a…stable note. Which, in this climate, feels like a victory. But let’s not get carried away. There are headwinds, changing trade policies, tariffs, and those pesky Chinese rivals. It’s a bumpy road, as they say. And I suspect it will remain so for quite some time. I’m just hoping my aunt Carol doesn’t trade in her Buick anytime soon.

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2026-01-20 00:52