Ford's Fiesta: Employee Pricing Saves the Day (Again!)

A Purr fect Start to Summer!

Madre de Dios! It is I Puss in Boots reporting live from… well not a battlefield this time but the *automotive* battlefield! Ford *sí* the metal horse makers have announced a 16.3% rise in U.S. sales for May. It seems even *they* know the power of a good deal. Seems their ‘employee pricing program’ is the secret ingredient more potent than a glass of *leche* before a midnight escapade!

Gas Guzzlers and Hybrids? Ole!

Now here's where it gets interesting. While those fancy electric contraptions especially the electric F 150 (a noble steed I'm sure but not quite *Zorro's Tornado*) saw a bit of a stumble – a 25% drop *caramba!* – the trusty gas guzzling engines roared back with a 17.2% increase. And those hybrid whatchamacallits? A nearly 29% jump! It seems the people still love the rumble of a real engine or perhaps they're just avoiding those charging stations like *El Muro* in a sword fight.

The Trump Tariff Tango

Ah yes the tariffs. Those pesky taxes imposed by a man with hair even more… unique than mine. (And that's saying something!) Ford bless their cotton socks launched this employee pricing thing just as those tariffs started to bite. But *ay* even Ford had to raise prices on some vehicles made south of the border. It’s all a complicated dance like trying to tango with a *gato loco*!

A Rush for Wheels: Not as Fast as Tornado but Still...

Word on the street (or the *calle* as we say in my village) is that people were rushing to buy cars before the prices went up. A wise move! Even *I* would've considered trading in my boots for a shiny new Ford… if I could drive that is! But the initial rush seems to have calmed down. Now the buying frenzy has dwindled slightly from that 'tariff inspired buying surge'. *Suspicious...*

Cox Forecasts: A Little Less Zoom More Miau

Those clever Cox fellows they predict things. They say May's sales pace will be a tad slower around 16 million. Still a respectable number *sí* but not quite the 17 million plus we saw earlier. It's like when *Kitty Softpaws* tries to steal my cream – a valiant effort but not always successful! They expect sales volume in May to rise 3.2% from last year and 2.5% from last month assisted by one additional selling day... *Pfft amateurs.*

Hasta la Vista Baby (Needs a New Engine!)

So there you have it amigos! Ford's doing alright thanks to a little *suerte* and a lot of discounts. But the road ahead is still paved with tariffs EV uncertainties and the ever present threat of… *el lobo*! (Or maybe just a bad sales quarter.) Until next time I remain your purr fectly dashing reporter Puss in Boots. May your engines purr and your adventures be legendary! And remember "Fear... is for the weak!"