The company said sales of its Ford-brand SUVs are off to the best start in company history.
DETROIT, MI - Ford Motor Co.'s sales of new cars and trucks in the U.S. last month grew 8 percent on an annual basis to 254,711 units, marking its best March since 2006.
For the first quarter, the Dearborn automaker's sales were up 9 percent to 645,626 vehicles.
The company said sales of its Ford-brand SUVs are off to the best start in company history. Sales of Ford SUVs in the first quarter of 2016 were up 15 percent over last year to 188,1000 units.
SUV sales rose 13 percent in March to 72,872 units, led by a 49 percent jump for the Edge. Sales of the Escape were up 8 percent and the Explorer increased 4 percent.
F-Series truck sales improved 9 percent to 73,884 units. That's the first time since 2007 the best-selling F-Series has broke the 70,000 mark this early in the year, Ford said.
Sales of the company's cars dipped 2 percent to 75,550 units in March.
Overall, for the first quarter, car sales were up 1 percent to 192,195 units, SUV sales rose 16 percent to 204,533 units and truck sales grew 9 percent to 248,898 units.
Sales of all Ford brand vehicles were up 8 percent to 245,022 units in March.
Lincoln brand sales last month increased 11 percent to 9,689 units, led by an 88 percent to for the MKX, and by a 20 percent rise for the Navigator.
"Customers continue buying high-end SUVs and trucks, helping the Ford brand increase its average transaction prices by more than $1,600 per vehicle in March - nearly double the industry average," Mark LaNeve, Ford's vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service, said in a release. "We have been seeing solid sales momentum in the first quarter across our entire portfolio, with car, SUV and truck sales up across the board."