BEIJING (AP) — Ford Motor Co.'s vehicle sales in China rose 30 percent last year, with overall sales boosted by the popularity of its Focus model, the U.S. automaker said in a statement Wednesday.
The total figure of 216,324 vehicles includes sales of all Ford-owned brands in the country — Ford, Lincoln, Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover. The company credited the rise to sales of the Focus and the introduction of the S-MAX in March and Mondeo in November.
Focus sales rose 57 percent in 2007 to 124,972 units. It was the fastest growing mid-sized car in China last year, the statement said. Mondeo sales hit 14,845 units in China in just six weeks on the market.
''We are pleased with our growth in China,'' said Mei-Wei Cheng, chief of Ford's Chinese unit. ''We will continue to invest in China and expand our operations to prepare for the next phase of our strategic growth program.''
Ford and its joint-venture partners operate three vehicle assembly plants and one engine manufacturing plant in China. Ford operations in China also include an automotive financing company, a Nanjing-based sourcing and research and development center, and extensive sales and service operations.
Ford's passenger car joint venture in China, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., posted a 60 percent increase in wholesale deliveries to 217,100 vehicles in 2007, the company said. Changan Ford produces Ford, Volvo and Mazda vehicles for the Chinese market.
The first Chinese-built Ford passenger car, the Ford Fiesta, was introduced in China in 2003.
