Ford Motor Company (F) Is Turning It Around in Europe

Ford’s latest pocket rocket is selling big, too
New variants of existing models have also done well. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s Fiesta is a European mainstay – it’s the top-selling car in the U.K. – and the new higher-performance model, the Fiesta ST (shown above) has been a big seller as well. Ford said last week that it has received almost 10,000 orders for the Fiesta ST since it went on sale in March, big numbers for a high-performance small car, and they’re boosting production at the Fiesta’s factory in Germany by 15% to keep up with demand.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s current Focus has also done well in Europe, just as it has in other parts of the world. It’s second to the Fiesta on the U.K. sales charts, and overall sales in Europe were up 13% in July. And Ford’s Europe-market commercial vehicles continue to do quite well, with sales of the midsized Ranger pickup up 17% for the month, and nearly double the year-ago period on a year-to-date basis.

The upshot: Once again, “One Ford” is paying off
Long story short? Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s formula for success, the one that has worked so well in the U.S and in China, is finally taking hold in Europe. For those who hold Ford stock, this is a good sign: Simply breaking even in Europe would add almost $2 billion, or 25%, to Ford’s pre-tax bottom line in 2012.

It may be another year, or even two, before Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) really gets to break-even. But if the European recessions are starting to lift, even a little, Ford is very well-positioned to benefit – and if Ford’s third-quarter numbers show more tangible progress in Europe, that should provide a nice boost to Ford’s stock price.

The article Ford Is Turning It Around in Europe originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor John Rosevear owns shares of Ford. Follow him on Twitter at @jrosevear. The Motley Fool recommends Ford. The Motley Fool owns shares of Ford. 

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