J-10
06-11-2004, 03:35 AM
Joann Muller, 06.10.04, 2:30 PM ET
BEIJING - When it comes to selling cars in China, Ford Motor is woefully behind global rivals like General Motors and Volkswagen. But you certainly wouldn't guess that judging by the size of Ford's exhibit at this week's Beijing auto show.
Ford's (nyse: F - news - people ) glitzy 54,000-square-foot display dwarfs that of any other company at the show, even though it's still a teeny player in China's exploding automotive market. Clearly, Ford is trying to compensate for its poor competitive position by wowing Chinese customers with its breadth elsewhere in the world.
Ford's display--about 50 models in all--fills an entire exhibit hall, while GM (nyse: GM - news - people ), with 12 cars on display, shares space with three other automakers. Ford's exhibit includes everything from the Lincoln Navigator to the Ford Mustang GT, as well as cars sold under its Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin brands. Ford even unveiled a concept version of a redesigned Focus sedan.
The trouble is, Chinese consumers won't be able to buy many of those Ford cars anytime soon. Ford is a latecomer to the market, and only three Ford brand vehicles--the subcompact Fiesta, the compact Mondeo sedan and the compact Maverick SUV--are currently sold in China. (All 12 of the models General Motors is showing are already for sale in China.) Ford hopes total Chinese sales will hit 65,000 units this year.
By contrast, GM sold 386,000 vehicles in China last year and this week announced plans, along with its Chinese joint-venture partner, to pump another $1.3 billion into its Chinese operations to boost capacity and bring out new models.
Ford admits its splashy exhibit is all about image. "We're building a car company," says Mark Schulz, executive vice president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. "Over time, we want our China operations to resemble what we have built in Europe and North America. But to do that, we need to let the Chinese customer know the kind of company we are, and the kind of cars and trucks we build all around the world."
If consumer reaction is good, says Mei-Wei Cheng, chairman of Ford Motor China, the company will try to bring more models to the Chinese market. Meanwhile, Chinese consumers can only wonder.
From (http://www.forbes.com/business/2004/06/10/cz_jm_0610ford.html)
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611034.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611033.jpg
GT
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611036.jpg
Volvo C70
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611037.jpg
SPIRRA
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611038.jpg
SLK200
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611039.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611040.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611041.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611057.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611051.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611053.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611054.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611059.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611060.jpg
BEIJING - When it comes to selling cars in China, Ford Motor is woefully behind global rivals like General Motors and Volkswagen. But you certainly wouldn't guess that judging by the size of Ford's exhibit at this week's Beijing auto show.
Ford's (nyse: F - news - people ) glitzy 54,000-square-foot display dwarfs that of any other company at the show, even though it's still a teeny player in China's exploding automotive market. Clearly, Ford is trying to compensate for its poor competitive position by wowing Chinese customers with its breadth elsewhere in the world.
Ford's display--about 50 models in all--fills an entire exhibit hall, while GM (nyse: GM - news - people ), with 12 cars on display, shares space with three other automakers. Ford's exhibit includes everything from the Lincoln Navigator to the Ford Mustang GT, as well as cars sold under its Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin brands. Ford even unveiled a concept version of a redesigned Focus sedan.
The trouble is, Chinese consumers won't be able to buy many of those Ford cars anytime soon. Ford is a latecomer to the market, and only three Ford brand vehicles--the subcompact Fiesta, the compact Mondeo sedan and the compact Maverick SUV--are currently sold in China. (All 12 of the models General Motors is showing are already for sale in China.) Ford hopes total Chinese sales will hit 65,000 units this year.
By contrast, GM sold 386,000 vehicles in China last year and this week announced plans, along with its Chinese joint-venture partner, to pump another $1.3 billion into its Chinese operations to boost capacity and bring out new models.
Ford admits its splashy exhibit is all about image. "We're building a car company," says Mark Schulz, executive vice president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. "Over time, we want our China operations to resemble what we have built in Europe and North America. But to do that, we need to let the Chinese customer know the kind of company we are, and the kind of cars and trucks we build all around the world."
If consumer reaction is good, says Mei-Wei Cheng, chairman of Ford Motor China, the company will try to bring more models to the Chinese market. Meanwhile, Chinese consumers can only wonder.
From (http://www.forbes.com/business/2004/06/10/cz_jm_0610ford.html)
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611034.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611033.jpg
GT
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611036.jpg
Volvo C70
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611037.jpg
SPIRRA
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611038.jpg
SLK200
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611039.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611040.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611041.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611057.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611051.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611053.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611054.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611059.jpg
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource/images/2004/06/11/pb040611060.jpg