Ford Motor January China sales 53340 units; Up 20% on year

Dow Jones (Beijing) - Ford Motor Co. (F) said Thursday its vehicle sales in China rose 20% in January from a year earlier to a record 53,340 units, driven by sustained demand for its flagship Ford Focus model.

Ford said sales by Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., its passenger-vehicle joint venture with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. (000625.SZ) and Mazda Motor Corp. (7261.TO), totaled 40,516 units, comprising 31,904 Ford brand vehicles and 8,612 Mazda brand vehicles, which was steady from a year earlier.

Jiangling Motors Corp. (000550.SZ), a commercial vehicle maker in which Ford owns a 30% stake, sold 20,966 units in January, up 40% from a year earlier, Ford said.