Ford's first-quarter China sales up 19%

MarketWatch (Beijing) - Ford Motor Co. said Thursday its vehicle sales in China increased 19% in the first quarter from a year earlier to 140,566 units, and its sales in March rose 20% from a year earlier to 53,440 units amid sustained demand for passenger and commercial vehicles. 

Ford said its first-quarter passenger car sales totaled 85,123 units, up 11% from a year earlier, and commercial vehicle sales rose 34% to 55,443 units.

The company 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 106,009 units in the first quarter and rose 16% from a year earlier to 42,157 units in March.

Sales by Jiangling Motors Corp., a commercial vehicle maker in which Ford owns a 30% stake, rose 34% to 55,443 units in the first-quarter from a year earlier, the company said.