With auto sales on the decline in the U.S. market, automakers such as Ford and General Motors are relying more and more on their foreign operations to keep things afloat. Luckily for Ford and GM, cars still sell like hot cakes in China – the world’s number two auto market – and both car makers are experiencing double-digit growth in China through the first half of 2008.
GM’s Chinese sales were up 12.7 percent through the first six months of the year, and the Detroit-based automaker continues to be one of the dominant automakers in the Chinese market.
GM sold 590,126 units in China during the January to June sales period, with its Chevrolet and Buick brands leading the way with 109,131 and 146,321 sales, respectively, according to Automotive News. However, GM’s sales growth was off last year’s mark of 18.5 percent.
Ford ’s sales increased more percentage-wise than GM’s – posting a 21 percent gain – but Ford’s Chinese market share is much smaller than GM’s, with just 172,411 vehicles sold through June.
However, Ford just opened the doors to a new factory in China capable of producing 410,000 vehicles per year, so the Blue Oval will likely post another double-digit sales increase over the next six months.
