Ford Mustang Wins Pony Sales Race

Ford Mustang Wins Pony Sales Race

The Ford Mustang, thanks to a December sprint to the finish, won the pony car sales race over the Chevrolet Camaro.

And it wasn't as close as anticipated.

Ford Mustang sales came in at 66,623 vehicles; General Motors sold 61,648 Chevrolet Camaros. The Camaro went on sale in March so did not have a full year of sales.

Edmunds.com had estimated the Camaro had a shot at beating the Mustang. Camaro sales had increased month by month while the Mustang's fell. And GM had insisted it would win.

But, in the end, it became clear Ford was not about to give up its sales title. In December, Ford sold 6,327 Mustangs. That was 62 percent more than December a year ago and significantly more than the 3,627 it sold in November. Incentives on the 2010 Mustang were minimal. Ford offered cash rebates ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 or zero-percent financing on leftover 2009 models. Ford's number also likely included fleet sales as the automaker's overall fleet sales were higher than they had been. GM said Camaro sales were all retail.

In 2010, the race continues with Ford and Chevrolet upping the ante -- Ford with the more powerful 2011 Mustang and Chevy with a Camaro convertible. -- Michelle Krebs, Senior Analyst and Editor at Large

Michelle Krebs:  is Editor-in-Chief of AutoObserver.com. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.