Ford will add 100 China dealers

BEIJING – Ford is going to add 100 dealers in China this year, mostly in smaller cities in inland provinces where new car demand is fluctuating, the company said today.

That step, more aggressive than a previously announced, will drive the number of Ford dealers in China to 340 by the end of the year, up from an original target of 310, said Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford's Asia and Africa operations.

The company plans to introduce four new models in China over the next few years, including the Ford Edge crossover next month.

The car manufacturer is expanding in China and India where demand for auto is stimulated by rising disposable incomes and economic growth Ford expects that Asia-Pacific region and Africa will bring 70 percent of its growth in the next 10 years.

Ford and its joint venture Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co. are building a new plant in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing and also plan to set up a new engine plant there. In India, the automaker invested $500 million this year to double production capacity and started selling a new small car.

Ford's sales in China this year through October grew 39 percent to 468,754 vehicles, according to a company statement released today.

The company expects record sales this year in China, the overall Asia-Pacific region and Africa, Hinrichs said.

Car sales in China rose at the fastest pace in six months in October, while in India, passenger vehicle sales rose 38 percent to a record.

General Motors Co. is also increasing its China dealerships. The U.S. automaker and its partner SAIC Motor Corp. will appoint more than 100 dealers by the first half of next year to distribute the new Baojun brand cars.