Ford Bantam is Leading the South African Market
Ford Press Release
Looking more like a car than a pickup, The Ford Bantam is a low-cost, high-capability, half-ton pickup available in South Africa.
DEARBORN, Mich. -- If you make the best product, you win. You only have to look at the Ford Bantam to see just how true that statement is.
From day one it trampled the competition and continues to set sales records every month. In fact, the chief reason South Africa’s light commercial vehicle segment continues to grow at record rates is the Ford Bantam.
The Bantam looks more like a car than a pickup. But in fact, it’s a low-cost, high-capability, half-ton pickup that was launched in October 2002. It’s also one of the reasons Ford is the fastest-growing major brand in South Africa this year.
“I think we could have sold even more if we could have produced more,” said John Felice, executive director, Marketing, Sales and Service for Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. “It’s a superior product to the competition, and the cost and pricing are right.”
The success of the Bantam can be attributed to many factors, such as a well-executed launch, being made locally and designed for the South African environment and features that none of its competition offers. These features include leather-trimmed seats, alarm systems, electric windows and mirrors, and four-speaker sound systems.
In its first month, the Bantam pushed to the top of the segment with a remarkable 37.5 percent share. Sales grew by almost 50 percent between 2002 and 2003. In August, Bantam commanded 46.1 percent of the market, and in September it sold 1,272 vehicles, accounting for a 40.6 percent share.
Felice said dealer satisfaction is another area of growth for Ford. “We were voted best in class among the automotive manufacturers this past year. That relationship with the dealer is going to be vital for our success, so that’s a very key metric we like to watch closely.”
But Felice said the Bantam is only one part of the Ford Asia Pacific and Africa story. The Ford brand is posting double-digit growth throughout the region.
For instance in SUVs, Ford is leading the market in six of the 12 Ford Asia Pacific markets and is second in two others. “Just three months into its launch, the Ford Territory has captured the leadership of the SUV segment in Australia and New Zealand," said Felice. "We eclipsed the 2,000 mark in sales in Australia and we just keep breaking sales records each month.”
Those sales figures reflect the extremely aggressive growth plans for Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. Felice said Ford is in the midst of developing a strategy to fuel that growth during the next two to three years. He said the biggest growth areas are China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Whether it’s the outstanding success of the Bantam in South Africa, the SUV leadership in Australia or expansions in China, Felice said the Ford Asia Pacific and Africa region is about to become an even more exciting place to be.
“I love it. On a professional level, these types of assignments are very broad in scope. I look at all the pieces of the business I get to help drive forward and it’s very broad. The rules change every day and it’s very fast paced, so that makes it exciting,” said Felice.
Ford Press Release
Looking more like a car than a pickup, The Ford Bantam is a low-cost, high-capability, half-ton pickup available in South Africa.
DEARBORN, Mich. -- If you make the best product, you win. You only have to look at the Ford Bantam to see just how true that statement is.
From day one it trampled the competition and continues to set sales records every month. In fact, the chief reason South Africa’s light commercial vehicle segment continues to grow at record rates is the Ford Bantam.
The Bantam looks more like a car than a pickup. But in fact, it’s a low-cost, high-capability, half-ton pickup that was launched in October 2002. It’s also one of the reasons Ford is the fastest-growing major brand in South Africa this year.
“I think we could have sold even more if we could have produced more,” said John Felice, executive director, Marketing, Sales and Service for Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. “It’s a superior product to the competition, and the cost and pricing are right.”
The success of the Bantam can be attributed to many factors, such as a well-executed launch, being made locally and designed for the South African environment and features that none of its competition offers. These features include leather-trimmed seats, alarm systems, electric windows and mirrors, and four-speaker sound systems.
In its first month, the Bantam pushed to the top of the segment with a remarkable 37.5 percent share. Sales grew by almost 50 percent between 2002 and 2003. In August, Bantam commanded 46.1 percent of the market, and in September it sold 1,272 vehicles, accounting for a 40.6 percent share.
Felice said dealer satisfaction is another area of growth for Ford. “We were voted best in class among the automotive manufacturers this past year. That relationship with the dealer is going to be vital for our success, so that’s a very key metric we like to watch closely.”
But Felice said the Bantam is only one part of the Ford Asia Pacific and Africa story. The Ford brand is posting double-digit growth throughout the region.
For instance in SUVs, Ford is leading the market in six of the 12 Ford Asia Pacific markets and is second in two others. “Just three months into its launch, the Ford Territory has captured the leadership of the SUV segment in Australia and New Zealand," said Felice. "We eclipsed the 2,000 mark in sales in Australia and we just keep breaking sales records each month.”
Those sales figures reflect the extremely aggressive growth plans for Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. Felice said Ford is in the midst of developing a strategy to fuel that growth during the next two to three years. He said the biggest growth areas are China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Whether it’s the outstanding success of the Bantam in South Africa, the SUV leadership in Australia or expansions in China, Felice said the Ford Asia Pacific and Africa region is about to become an even more exciting place to be.
“I love it. On a professional level, these types of assignments are very broad in scope. I look at all the pieces of the business I get to help drive forward and it’s very broad. The rules change every day and it’s very fast paced, so that makes it exciting,” said Felice.