Ford, GM post double-digit sales gains in China

SHANGHAI (Reuters) -- Ford Motor Co. and General Motors posted double-digit sales gains in China last year, the automakers reported this week.

Ford and its Chinese joint ventures sold 1.11 million vehicles, up 19 percent from the previous year, Ford said today. 

In the month of December, Ford sold 107,244 vehicles, up 13 percent from a year earlier. That follows a 2 percent rise in November and a 1 percent fall in October.

Ford has said its growth in China has been constrained by a shortage of manufacturing capacity and is adding new plants in the country.

Ford makes vehicles in China in partnership with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co Ltd and Jiangling Motors Corp Ltd.

Meanwhile, GM and its Chinese partners sold a record 3,539,970 vehicles in China in 2014, up 12 percent from the previous year, the U.S. automaker said on Tuesday.

For the month of December, GM sold 357,375 vehicles, a rise of 31.9 percent from a year earlier.

The monthly gain followed a 5.3 percent year-on-year rise in November and a 3.2 percent rise in October.

GM has said it plans to invest $12 billion in China between 2014 and 2017 and build five more plants to ramp up its manufacturing capacity.

GM makes vehicles in China in partnership with China FAW Group Corp. and SAIC Motor Corp Ltd.