Ford’s China, India sales rise 37 percent in August

Ford says August China, India sales up

DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Motor Co. said Thursday that its August sales in China and India rose 37 percent, reflecting the rapid growth in those regions for the U.S. automaker.

Ford sold 7,925 vehicles in India, a 220 percent gain over the year-ago August. Sales in China from Ford and its joint ventures came in at 44,047 vehicles, a 24 percent increase.

In total, Ford has sold 422,779 vehicles in those two countries during 2010, a 52 percent increase over the same period last year.

Ford said the Asia Pacific Region and Africa should account for 70 percent of the automakers growth in the next 10 years.

Shares of Ford rose 10 cents to $11.71 in afternoon trading.