Although Fords home market might be in a bind at the moment, the Chinese market is on the up in a serious way according to half year performance figures released by Ford this morning:

• Ford Motor Company’s joint-ventures and wholly-owned entities in China posted best-ever first-half sales of 197,212 units, or 14% year-on-year growth
• Ford Motor’s passenger car joint-venture, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA), delivered record first-half sales of 140,386 units, or a 20% year-over-year increase.
• Ford Motor’s commercial vehicle investment in China, Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC), posted record sales of 53,327 units, with Ford Transit consistently leading monthly sales in the high-end light commercial van segment
• The all-new Ford Fiesta is one of the fastest growing small cars in China, with 18,224 units in the four months of sales since its March launch.

Press Release from Ford China:

SHANGHAI, JULY 6, 2009 – Ford Motor Company today reported record first-half sales of its joint-ventures and wholly-owned entities in China totaling 197,212 units, or 14% growth over the same period a year ago. Ford brand passenger cars and commercial vehicles achieved their best-ever sales through the first six months, totaling 118,198 units, also 14% growth over last year. Ford brand passenger car sales have grown consistently through the first half of 2009, with June reaching a year on year growth of 55% on a standalone basis, which is the testament to the overwhelming acceptance of Ford products in the China market and rapidly improved distribution capability.

“Ford Motor China continued to make significant progress through the first half of the year by remaining absolutely focused on executing our One Ford plan in China,” said Robert Graziano, Chairman and CEO of Ford Motor China. “The incredible popularity our new Fiesta underpinned continued strong demand among Chinese consumers who appreciate the class-leading quality, fuel efficiency, safety, styling and drivability of our Ford product lineup.”

Ford Motor’s passenger car joint-venture in China, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA) delivered record first-half sales of 140,386, a 20% increase over the same period last year.

Jiangling Motors Corporation, Ford Motor’s commercial vehicle investment in China, also achieved record first-half sales of 53,327 units, with Ford Transit being one of the best sellers in the high-end light commercial van segment and first-half total sales of 14,210 units.

Following its successful launch in March, the all-new Fiesta quickly became one of the most popular models in China’s small-car market, and has been particularly well received by the younger generation. In its first four months in China, Fiesta recorded sales of 18,224 units, well ahead of Company forecasts.

“The new Fiesta is a global product that’s been tailored for the China market, and its excellent performance in this market truly shows that it’s a car Chinese customers want to own and experience,” explained Graziano.

Ford also maintained its strong presence in other segments, with Ford Focus continuing to be one of the top sellers in mid-size passenger car market with average monthly sales of more than 10,000 units. Ford introduced the new S-MAX with sunroof in February, helping that nameplate achieve sales of 2,107 units during the first-half of 2009.

Ford Mondeo’s appeal was further increased after it achieved an amazing 5.94L/100Km in the recent China 2009 Fuel Efficiency (FE) Challenge held jointly by the Federation of Automobile Sports of China (FASC) and China Central Television.

“Ford is committed to further promoting our vision of sustainable mobility in the China market,” said Graziano. “We’re planning the introduction of our EcoBoost engine technology in 2010, as well as other fuel efficient technologies, such as the PowerShift transmission, which we believe will meet the China market’s requirements. We’ve also recently launched our global Driving Skills for Life program that teaches both safe and fuel-efficient driving techniques to Chinese drivers.”