By VINCE REMBULAT

The Bulletin

TRACY – These are exciting times at Tracy Ford.

Sales are up and many of the products are every bit as comparable to that of the luxury model brands.

“Ford has come a long way,” said sales manager Thad Webb. “It’s no longer your mom and dad’s Ford.”

Perhaps only the always popular F-150 pickup remains from that era.

“Still pound-for-pound the No. 1 selling truck for the 36th straight year,” general sales manager Wahib Nasral said on Friday.

Fusion and Focus are among the top sellers at Tracy Ford, which now find itself in direct competition with the Stockton and Livermore dealerships.

“Our sales are not only up but we’ve exceeded that of our local demographics,” Webb said.

He credited referrals as one of the reasons for that boost coupled with the experienced sales staff that includes Carl Covington, who has been here since 1996. “I think he came with the building,” Webb said jokingly.

The dealership at 3500 Auto Plaza Way survived some tough times during a downturned economy of about five years ago. Under the ownership of Tom and Brian Nokes, Tracy Ford has more than tripled in sales in the course of the past three years.

“We’ve sold 200 units in just this past month,” Webb said.

The Auto Mall dealership moved its stock of pre-owned cars to a different part of the lot in order to make room for more Fusions and Focuses. Webb noticed that many of the trade-ins were Hondas and Toyotas with plenty of mileage.

The latter may be indicative of folks holding on to their vehicles during those tough economic times, Webb noted, with recent sales proving that consumers are once again splurging for new cars.

Tracy Ford offers great deals on used and pre-owned vehicles.

But it’s the new ones such as the Mustang, Escape, Edge, Expedition, Fiesta, Flex, Focus, Fusion, F-150, F-250, F-350 and Explorer that attracts buyers.

In addition, the Explorer continues to be Ford’s No. 1 selling SUV just right ahead of the Escape. The Edge is a popular crossover while the Mustang with its retro look echoes a classic past.

The Fusion hybrid recently earned the No. 1 Green Car Award.

For more information on Tracy Ford, call 1-888-439-4160 or log on to www.tracyford.com.