Ford Motor China sold 41,775 retail vehicles this May, a 17 percent increase compared to the same period last year. China sales in May were led by the Focus, with 16,756 wholesale units sold, a 33 percent year-on-year increase.  May marks the ninth consecutive month that the Focus has seen double-digit year-on-year sales growth in China.

The upgraded 2011 Mondeo has continued its strong momentum with 6,005 wholesale units sold, a 46 percent increase since its launch in May 2010.

Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA), Ford's passenger vehicle joint-venture in China, reported 32,996 wholesale units sold in May, representing a 19 percent increase year-on-year.  And to further support Ford's aggressive growth strategy in China, CFMA plans to build its first transmission plant in Chongqing.  The new plant is scheduled to begin production in 2013 and will possess an initial capacity of 400,000 units.

Ford India sold more than 9,000 wholesale units in the month of May, comprised of 7,046 domestic and more than 2,000 to export markets.  In the first five months of 2011, Ford India has sold more than 51,000 wholesale units, representing year-on-year growth of more than 71 percent.  And based on continued high demand, Ford began exporting Figo to Bahrain and Kenya in May.  The vehicle remains in high demand in South Africa, where it was runner up for South African Car of the Year.

Ford also announced in May an investment of USD 72 million to expand its powertrain facility in Chennai, as well as to support its sales and export growth plans in the country, bringing Ford's total investment in India to more than USD 1 billion.

The ASEAN region continued its impressive run this year with overall May retail sales of 6,372 units, with Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines all posting significant year-on-year increases that far outpaced the industry in their respective markets.

Ford Thailand led the way with its best-ever May retail sales that soared 327 percent year-over-year to 2,517 units, and capturing a 4.5 percent market share – its highest since August 2004. The Ford Focus had its best month of the year, and Fiesta notched its best monthly retail sales since its launch, capturing 17.3 percent of its highly competitive segment.

Ford Motor Indonesia (FMI) also recorded its best-ever May performance with overall retail sales jumping 231 percent year-over-year to 1,536 units – and an all-time record retail share of 2.4 percent. The popular Fiesta enjoyed its best monthly performance since launch, and sales of the tough and reliable Ford Ranger rose 120 percent, passing the sales milestone of 30,000 retail units since its Indonesia launch.

Ford Group Philippines (FGP) reported a jump of 85 percent from a year ago to 817 retail units sold, led by the continued success of Fiesta which recorded its best monthly performance of the year. 

In Vietnam, total Ford retail sales increased by 17 percent in May from a year ago to 519 units, representing a 5.5 percent share of the overall industry.

Ford Lio Ho (FLH) in Taiwan gained considerable market share and saw monthly retail sales jump in May by more than 18.2 percent, compared to the same period last year.  All Ford nameplates rang up significant year-on-year retail sales gains in May, with Ford Fiesta, Focus, and Escape increasing by 65.9 percent, 17.3 percent, and 11.1 percent, respectively. 

In Australia, Ford reported year-to-date retail sales increases across its entire lineup, led by the Ford Escape and Ranger, jumping more than 58 and 61 percent, respectively.  The Mondeo, with a five point leap in market share to 13.1 percent between January and May of 2011, also saw a 47.5 percent increase in retail sales compared to the same period last year.  May retail sales of the Focus were the best since March 2009, with a 34.5 percent increase year-to-date compared to last year, while the popular Fiesta continues to remain strong with retail sales growth of 14.2 percent and market share of 10.3 percent, compared to the same period of January-May 2010.

Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa's (FMCSA) total May retail sales performance, driven by strong sales of Figo, Fiesta, Bantam and Ranger, nearly tripled that of the South Africa market trend with a collective increase of 17.2 percent.  FMCSA's passenger car retail sales also grew by 49 percent in May, which is a 12.1 percent increase over the same period last year.