Ford Motor Company is increasingly attracting customers who are trading in vehicles from competing brands, one of the keys to Ford’s recent market share gains in U.S.

For the Ford brand, the rate of customers who traded in competitive brand vehicles rose 18 percent from the 2005 to 2009 model year. The conquest rate for Lincoln rose 61 percent, while Mercury saw a 12 percent increase from the 2005 to 2009 model year.

“We’re finding that when customers of competing brands check out our new lineup and understand the quality, fuel efficiency and value we offer, they are increasingly becoming Ford owners,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president of Marketing, Sales and Service. “The strength of our new products is making the difference in a very competitive marketplace.”

Among Ford vehicles, the Fusion Hybrid, Escape Hybrid and Mustang attract the most customers who trade in competing brands. For example, more than 60 percent of trade-ins for the Fusion Hybrid were non-Ford vehicles. More than 50 percent of trade-ins for the Ford Mustang were competitive brands.

“We’re seeing customers from competing brands in the showroom that we haven’t seen in a long time, if ever,” said Kevin Collins, president and owner of the Bill Collins Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealership in Louisville, Ky. “Customers have been looking at our products for two reasons. They are impressed with Ford products’ quality improvement, and they are pleasantly surprised with our entire lineup. Ford is back on their shopping list.”

Winning new customers from competing brands has been a key to Ford’s ability to gain market share in the U.S. Ford gained U.S. market share in 2009, its first full-year market share gain since 1995. Ford has now gained market share for 16 of the past 17 months.

As Ford attracts new customers, it is seeing a demographic shift among its owners. Since 2002, the average household income of Ford customers has risen about 20 percent and the number of Ford customers with college degrees has risen nearly 10 percent.