Ford China growing rapdily... 1H'10 up 53%

[68fastback]

I don't usually post stuff on Ford in Aisa, but good to see Ford is growing in this major growth market... China has lots of restrictions on how 'foreign' corporations participate (must partner with a Chinese corp that is essentially controlled by the Chinese government, etc), but still good to see Ford this growth.

For media release (just moments ago):

FORD MOTOR CHINA'S FIRST-HALF SALES UP 53 PERCENT TO AN ALL-TIME HIGH


Ford China rang up record first-half sales of 301,524 units, an increase of 53 percent from a year ago
Ford's passenger car joint venture in China, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile, delivered record sales of 205,563 units in the first half, an increase of 46 percent year-on-year
Ford Motor China's commercial vehicle investment, Jiangling Motors Corporation, registered record sales of 88,363 units, with sales of Ford Transit rising dramatically, up 78 percent from a year ago to 25,227 units
The 2011 Ford Focus was introduced in June, with 2 new models available and substantial enhancements in safety, environmental friendliness, comfort and value
Ford will introduce the Ford Mondeo with 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost engine and PowerShift transmission, and the new Ford Edge featuring MyFord TouchTM driver connect technology to the China market later this year
More... (http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=32912)

[Alloy Dave]

I don't usually post stuff on Ford in Aisa, but good to see Ford is growing in this major growth market... China has lots of restrictions on how 'foreign' corporations participate (must partner with a Chinese corp that is essentially controlled by the Chinese government, etc), but still good to see Ford this growth.

For media release (just moments ago):

FORD MOTOR CHINA'S FIRST-HALF SALES UP 53 PERCENT TO AN ALL-TIME HIGH


Ford China rang up record first-half sales of 301,524 units, an increase of 53 percent from a year ago
Ford's passenger car joint venture in China, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile, delivered record sales of 205,563 units in the first half, an increase of 46 percent year-on-year
Ford Motor China's commercial vehicle investment, Jiangling Motors Corporation, registered record sales of 88,363 units, with sales of Ford Transit rising dramatically, up 78 percent from a year ago to 25,227 units
The 2011 Ford Focus was introduced in June, with 2 new models available and substantial enhancements in safety, environmental friendliness, comfort and value
Ford will introduce the Ford Mondeo with 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost engine and PowerShift transmission, and the new Ford Edge featuring MyFord TouchTM driver connect technology to the China market later this year
More... (http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=32912)

A story about China on Independence day? :redcard:

:haha:

Good info Dan. True what you say about doing business in China. We use JVs there.

[68fastback]

lol - yeah ...Ford could have waited a few days! ;-)

I suspect joint ventures are how China assures itself it will be able to develop key tech skills at a faster rate -- so they can eventually compete directly.

There's also been a huge increase in Chinese companies in SEMA in the past couple of years ...mostly car parts and accessory manufacturing related (HID and LED lighting too). It's a big import issue with US car companies right now trying to get Congress to block direct knock-offs. So far soe court decisions have been favorable, but I suspect it will eventually go just like the Asian PC-knockoffs of the '90s -- hopeless.

On a bright note, I've read that modding/hot-rodding cars is a huge craze by young folks in China -- gotta love it!

[JTB]

A story about China on Independence day? :redcard:

:haha:

Good info Dan. True what you say about doing business in China. We use JVs there.

:lol: (an appropriately rendered :redcard: AD)

This is how it starts....:judge: FORD's Head Office will be in SHANGHAI by 2020 and will export cars back to the USA.

Paying AUTO WORKERS to run robots $400/month is much more attractive than paying them $6000/month.

Now Dan you may find this implausible, but you do have a foreign President with a Muslim Father now, times do change. :shades:

[68fastback]

:lol: (an appropriately rendered :redcard: AD)

This is how it starts....:judge: FORD's Head Office will be in SHANGHAI by 2020 and will export cars back to the USA.

Paying AUTO WORKERS to run robots $400/month is much more attractive than paying them $6000/month.

Now Dan you may find this implausible, but you do have a foreign President with a Muslim Father now, times do change. :shades:

:spitcopy:

...Obama will annex Canada by then -- so the greens can make biofuel from Canola oil :shades:

...which Canada smartly resisted calling Rape oil :rofl:

...with the side benefit of only having to teach english to the Québécois Quebecers :smile:

...in the interim, the Cajuns will act as unwilling interpreters :biggrin:

...lucky for Canada our illegitimate chief exec will likely only be a one-term traitorpresident, eh?

---

...seriously, though, what's key in the auto industry, imho, is where the intensive R&D and engineering takes place (especially for pocess but also for product) and how it's managed. Unless we lose the auto industry entirely by then -- which is not impossible but rather unlikely -- Ford will still be an American company in Dearborn, albeit with HQ-tethered global centers-of-competance located all over the globe as the needs of the business may warrant -- probably the only way to compete successfully in a global economy ...and that's, overall, a good thng, imho.

[Alloy Dave]

:lol: (an appropriately rendered :redcard: AD)

This is how it starts....:judge: FORD's Head Office will be in SHANGHAI by 2020 and will export cars back to the USA.

Paying AUTO WORKERS to run robots $400/month is much more attractive than paying them $6000/month.

Now Dan you may find this implausible, but you do have a foreign President with a Muslim Father now, times do change. :shades:

Hopefull things will CHANGE again in November. We shall see.