Ford has announced that its retail sales in China grew by 30% in 2007 — to 216,324 vehicles — out pacing the overall market. Sales data was only available for the first 11 months in China, but compared to the same time period in 2006, overall auto sales in China were up 23% to 5.66 million units.
According to Automotive News, sales of Ford branded cars climbed 26%, totaling 196,221 vehicles. That increase was largely due to strong sales of the Focus, whose sales rose by 57%.
Retail sales of Ford’s other brands — Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover — increased by 84%, totaling 20,103 vehicles.
With the U.S. car market in a downturn, overseas markets are quickly becoming a viable life raft to keep domestic automakers from dipping too far into the red. Just yesterday, Ford announced that will continue to invest in India and Chrysler reported a 15% increase in overseas sales in 2007. 2007 also saw General Motors become the first automaker to sell 1 million vehicles in China within a 12-month span.
01/09, 11:39 AM
posted by:
Veda
Reap while you can, that’s the new business motto anyway.
01/09, 11:42 AM
posted by:
purdue
That should make a friend of mine happy. He oversees some FordMoCo Mfg plants in China.
01/09, 11:42 AM
posted by:
lucklaster
This story is not news anymore. Every maker will increase their sales in China. So what?
01/09, 1:10 PM
posted by:
celeron
It’s funny, because Fords quality is also Chinese.
01/09, 1:25 PM
posted by:
planet_drive
All those Chinese people will soon realise the mistake of buying a ford and it won’t be long untill fords become the butt of jokes among the Chinese.
01/09, 2:31 PM
posted by:
autonut
This success is as important to Ford bottom line as sales Fords in 1910. They can not bring profit or loss (for tax purposes) out of China. Furthermore, just like GM, they can not own 50% of enterprise that sells Ford cars/trucks in China. They can only own 49%, which begs the question: who’s money they are counting?
01/09, 3:31 PM
posted by:
Veda
Doing business with the chinese, koreans, and japanese have always been a double edged sword. They never come out of a deal without gaining something, even if they’ll take it later in the future. It all comes down to how good you are at playing in their field. As for GM and Ford, putting their brand in the mind of so many people is important for their longterm survival. With China’s politic becoming tamer, maybe someday they’ll change their policy on foreign companies. Just brainwash their kids with more Harry Potters.
01/09, 7:37 PM
posted by:
corvette
at least ford is growing some were.
01/09, 8:26 PM
posted by:
Commodore
I hate the fact that the PRC is growing and expanding while we are talking about recession
01/09, 11:29 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Commodore: we should be applauding all three of the domestics for making money off the PRC because a lot of it is going to be funneled back to the development here.
And before all the quasi economic experts on this site start spewing off about how what’s invested in China stays in China, just remember they’re far too busy worrying about their own people trying to shaft the government than legitimate business adding value to their economy.
In other words they’re f*cking crooked; honest business practice is beyond their comprehension. And if they do catch something that gets their rice patties in a bunch so f*cking what. What’re they going to do? Ban the sale of Chery products here? Please. Go ahead. Make our day.
01/10, 10:23 AM
posted by:
planet_drive
^You think America is an honorable country that practices fair business? lol hardly, America is one of the biggest crooks out there, thats why the whole world hates us so much and Ford is the biggest crook of the domestic automakers. Canada is different, I have alot of respect for that country because I find the society up there to be more civilized and much more ethical and far less ignorant of the world. Just the fact that Canada does not have and does not want NASCAR speaks loudly of how much more respectable they are lol
01/10, 3:52 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Agreed planet_drive. And the funniest thing I saw all last year was the Busch race in Montreal and Robby Gordon’s antics. If we did want NASCAR that probably brought us back on the straight and narrow.
01/10, 5:14 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
It’s all about china and India. Between ‘em probably 700 million people who have never owned cars, but will buy them before they croak.
planet_drive: how do you say “Found on Road Dead†in Mandarin?
corporations run U.S. government, but Canada isn’t more civilized than we are. The population of Americans that hates NASCAR is probably twice the population of Canada,.