Ford China sales grow 35% in November

Ford on Saturday said its China auto sales in November rose by 35% compared with the sales recorded last year, led by sales in the midsized-car segment, including the Fiesta and Focus models. The company sold 56,829 vehicles in November.

For the first 11 months of the year, Ford sold 525,100 units in China, a year-over-year increase of 39%.

The Ford Focus sustained popularity in the competitive midsized-car segment, with 17,139 units sold in November, an increase of 34% from a year ago. Sales of the Ford Fiesta went up 60% against the sales during the same 11-month period in 2009.

In an attempt to boost sales in the world's biggest auto market, Ford recently opened 40 dealerships in China and plans to add another 26 by year's end.

Like other major automakers, Ford is eying emerging markets to make up for the growth lost in the U.S. and other traditional strongholds. It expects 70% of its sales growth to come from the Asia-Pacific and African regions over the next decade.

Sales are growing fastest in China's provincial cities as the benefits of the country's economic boom spread from its east coast to the interior, where millions of new and potential car buyers live.