Shanghai, October 13 (Gasgoo.com) Ford Motor sold 119,338 vehicles in China in the third quarter (ended Sept. 30), up 79% from a year earlier, the company said in its press release today. Through the first three quarters of the year, its China sales rose 32% to 316,639 units.
September sales of Ford-branded cars made by Changan Ford Mazda Automobile, Ford's passenger-car joint venture in China, more than doubled from a year earlier to 23,616 units. The venture posted record sales of 227,839 units in the first nine months, up 43% year on year (y/y).
In the third quarter, Changan Ford Mazda achieved sales of 87,454 units, up 104% y/y, with all-time monthly sales in September of Ford brand vehicles that soared 107% y/y.
In September, the Ford Fiesta achieved its best monthly sales of 5,009 units, reaching total sales of 32,178 since its March launch. Ford Focus also achieved its all-time best monthly sales last month with 13,891 units, surging 72%y/y to bring its nine-month sales to 99,109 units.
Ford Mondeo and Ford S-MAX contributed to the robust growth with September sales rising nearly 40% and 68%, respectively.
Jiangling Motors, Ford's commercial vehicle investment in China, achieved record sales of 82,718 units in January-September, with 23,520 units of Ford Transit sold, leading the country's high-end light commercial van segment.
In late September, Changan Ford Mazda broke ground at a $490 million new plant in Chongqing, which will increase the passenger car venture's annual capacity to 600,000 units by 2012.
