Ford’s Irish division records €275,000 loss in 2014

The Irish arm of US auto giant Ford recorded an operating loss of €275,000 for last year. Accounts filed for Henry Ford and Son Ltd show a turnover of €254.5 million for the year ended December 31st 2014, up from €144.6 million in 2013.

The results for 2014 were an improvement on the previous year, when the firm recorded an operating loss of €502,000.

Gross profit for the year was €9.7 million, up from €8.3 million in 2013, but there were increases in selling and distribution costs and administrative expenses.

Warranty costs for the year rose from €1.78 million in 2013 to €2.94 million last year.

The Irish operation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Detroit-based car giant.

Ford finished 2014 third in the Irish new car market, behind Volkswagen and Toyota with a 9.85 per cent share on sales of 9,479 new cars.

So far this year its share has slipped slightly to 9.7 per cent, trailing the same two rivals.

The bounce in the new car market, however, means new Ford cars registered stood at 11,780 by the end of September.

Ford was the best-selling brand for light commercial vehicles in 2014 with a 25.4 per cent market share.