FORD DEALERS accross the country were expecting to deliver the most “08″ plated vehicles in March.

While the new Fiesta, on sale later this year, was unveiled at last month Geneva motor show, the current Fiesta continues to be the UK’s top selling model amongst private, or retail, buyers with 9,348 sold to these customers in the first two months of the year.

Figures from the society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed 47,967 vehicle registrations for market leader FORD in those two months. In January and February 36,946 cars and 11,021 commercial vehicles were sold by Ford - the best selling brand in both markets.

Arround 425,000 cars were expected to be sold this March in the UK, the month coinciding with the number plate change.

Leading the Ford sales drive this spring are the Fiesta and new Focus, which went on sale in February. These models are contributing to the increasing number of retail buyers already flowing through showroom doors for Ford’s Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy large cars. Ford’s recently launched large car range has helped the company win over 20 per cent more private customers during January and February than in the same month last year.

October’s planned London Congestion Charge exemption for cars emitting under 120g CO2 per Kilometre is fuelling interest in Ford’s 28 different models falling under this threshold based on model, engine and trim. More than 3,000 customers have so far expressed interest in the 115g Ford Focus ECOnetic model now on sale.