Ford Sees Record Third Quarter Sales, Eight Consecutive Months Of Growth In China

* Ford Motor Company’s joint-ventures and wholly-owned entities in China delivered record sales of 119,338 units in the third quarter, an increase of 79 percent from a year ago
* September sales of Ford brand vehicles rose 107 percent year-over-year on a standalone basis to an all-time monthly high
* Ford Motor’s China joint venture, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co. (CFMA), posted record sales of 227,839 units through the first nine months, a 43 percent increase year-on-year
* Ford Motor’s commercial vehicle investment in China, Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC), posted record sales of 82,718 units through September, with Ford Transit leading the high-end light commercial van segment with sales of 23,520 units through the first three quarters
* In September, CFMA broke ground on a new, state-of-the-art passenger car facility in Chongqing, increasing total annual capacity at CFMA operations to 600,000 units by 2012

SHANGHAI – Ford Motor Company continued its record growth in China in the third quarter, with sales of its joint-ventures and wholly-owned entities increasing 79 percent over the same period last year, to 119,338 units. Through the first nine months of the year, its sales rose 32 percent to 316,639 units.

Ford Motor’s passenger car joint-venture in China, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA) reported record sales of 227,839 units through the first nine months, an increase of 43 percent year-over-year. In the third quarter, sales of 87,454 units represented a 104 percent increase versus a year earlier, with all-time monthly sales in September of Ford brand vehicles that rose 107 percent year-over-year on a standalone basis.

“The overwhelming response of Chinese consumers to our world-class lineup of Ford brand vehicles is underpinning our continued performance of record sales,” said Robert Graziano, chairman and CEO of Ford Motor China.

“In September, Fiesta achieved its best monthly sales performance of 5,009 units, reaching total sales of 32,178 since its March launch,” added Graziano. “With the right plan and right products in place, we will continue to deliver Ford brand vehicles with best-in-class quality, fuel efficiency, safety and innovative technologies that our customers value and want.”

Ford Focus also achieved its all-time best monthly sales in September with 13,891 units, rocketing 72 percent from the same period a year earlier, and helping drive sales of 99,109 units through the first three quarters. In August, CFMA celebrated production of the 400,000th Focus at its Chongqing production facility.

Ford Mondeo and Ford S-MAX contributed to the robust growth with September sales rising nearly 40 and 68 percent, respectively, versus the same month a year ago, and helping both nameplates achieve their best-ever third quarter sales performances.

Jiangling Motors Corporation, Ford Motor’s commercial vehicle investment in China, achieved record sales of 82,718 units through the first three quarters, with Ford Transit leading the high-end light commercial van segment and with sales of 23,520 units through the first nine months.

In September, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA) broke ground at a new RMB 3.34 billion (US$490 million) state-of-the-art passenger car facility in Chongqing, which will increase annual capacity of CFMA’s operations in China to 600,000 vehicles by 2012.

Ford Motor China also continued to expand its dealer networks, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, and at the end of September Ford had 226 authorized, full-service dealerships.

“We are committed to focusing on our ONE Ford plan in China and further expanding to meet the continued rise in demand from Chinese consumers for world-class Ford products and services,” explained Graziano.

Note: All sales figures quoted are based on wholesale numbers.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 201,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.

Ford’s wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and investment in China include Ford Motor (China) Limited, Ford Motor Research & Engineering (Nanjing) Co., Ltd., Ford Automotive Finance (China) Ltd., Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd., Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. Nanjing Company, Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co., Ltd. and Jiangling Motors Co., Ltd.

For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com and www.ford.com.cn.