Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) Sees 53% Growth in China Sales

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) sold 53% more vehicles during the first half of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009, according to a statement from the company

The Dearborn-MI based automaker said that it sold 301,524 vehicles in China during the first six months of 2010. Specifically, the company said that its passenger car joint venture, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile, sold a 205,563 vehicles, up 46% year-over-year. The company’s commercial vehicle venture, Jiangling Motors Corp, sold 88,363 vehicles. Both were record sales numbers.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) also sells its Volvo brand in China, however, the sale of Volvo to Zhejiang Geely Holding Co. is awaiting approval from China’s government.

The company said in a statement on Monday that the increase in sales were fueled by its new Fiesta subcompact. Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) also introduced a new “Focus” line in China in June and said that it plans to introduce its “Mondeo” mid-sized car in China later in the year, which should further contribute to strong sales, the company said.

All automakers in China started slow during the month of May, but grew 26% compared to the previous year. The growth rate was the slowest increase in demand in over a year as demand weakened for sedans. Automakers sold a total 1.04 million passenger cars in May.

Despite Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F)’s sales growth, the company still trails General Motors in China. GM sold 1.21 million vehicles in H1 2010, a 50% gain compared to the same period in 2009. China also beat U.S. sales for General Motors for the first time during the first half of this year.