Ford Motor Co.’s Chinese joint venture with Changan Motors reported a 111 percent sales increase in August compared to the same period last year — the company’s seventh straight month of year-over-year growth.
At this point, Ford is the Biggest One of the Big Three, by making strategic moves that all seem to work. The venture with Changan Motors is paying off. Cash for Clunkers paid off for them in a huge way. And with their newest models and an upcoming whole slew of new ones coming in 2011, Ford’s management is pleased. While the others limp along using money from Uncle Sam, Ford is not government-sponsored in any way, which must make them very happy indeed.
“We’re pleased to see the continued momentum and exceptional growth carry through into a record August, which is traditionally a low season for China’s auto market,” said Nigel Harris, general manager of Changan Ford.
The company sold 21,127 Ford brand vehicles. The all-new Ford Fiesta, which was launched in March, accounted for 4,539 of those sales. But the top seller was the Ford Focus, which sold 12,269 units, its best month this year.
Consistently a top seller in the mid-size car segment, Ford Focus sales rose 58 percent to 12,269 units, representing the best monthly sales performance for Focus since January 2008. Changan Ford recently celebrated the production of the 400,000th Focus at its Chongqing production facility.
Both Ford Mondeo and Ford S-MAX continued to beat company forecasts and delivered strong monthly results, increasing 89 and 88 percent, respectively, over the same period last year. Through the first eight months of this year, Changan Ford has delivered total sales of 144,601 units, a 30 percent increase over the same period last year.
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