Ford’s sales in February increased 43% from a year ago. This is the first time in more than fifty years that Ford has outsold its larger rival GM, which doesn’t augur well for the government owned vehicle manufacturer.  While 40% of sales come from rental car companies, which often resell these cars to the used car market in turn depreciating the value of newer cars, the boost to their sales seems to be well worth it.It helps that last year Ford was able to continue its business without the help of the government, further reassuring customers of its image.

This marks the first time that Ford has topped GM in over a decade, when workers from the latter company went on strike. Toyota’s sales fell 8.7% from recent recalls and quality reports. Chrysler’s sales remained steady with only a 0.5% increase in sales. Honda’s sales increased 12%.

The boost to the car markets indicated a slow recovery to the global recession. While trade values have risen by almost 30% from the the depths of last February’s numbers, they still fall short of pre-recession values by about 20%.