Ford Says It Expects Top-Selling Focus to Maintain Sales Pace

Ford Motor Co. (F), the second-largest U.S. automaker, said it expects to maintain the sales pace for its Focus compact car, which outsold the Toyota Corolla to be the world’s best-selling car in the first six months this year.

Ford sold 489,616 units of the Focus in the January to June period, compared with 462,187 Corollas, the Dearborn, Michigan- based automaker said in a statement today, citing data from IHS Automotive. The company produced its 350-millionth car in its history at its plant in Rayong, Thailand, according to the statement.

“The Focus is attracting many new customers to the Ford brand for the very first time, particularly in Asia where we are growing every day,” Jim Farley, Ford’s global market chief, said in the statement.

Ford is stepping up investments in Asia to tap demand from from China to India after widening losses in Europe prompted the carmaker to cut its outlook in July for full-year profit. The company said this week it will bring its luxury Lincoln nameplate to China in the second half of 2014.

To contact the reporter on this story: Chua Kong Ho in Shanghai at kchua6@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Young-Sam Cho at ycho2@bloomberg.net

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Ford Says It Expects Top-Selling Focus to Maintain Sales Pace

Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Ford sold 489,616 units of the Focus in the January to June period, compared with 462,187 Corollas, Ford Motor Co. said in a statement today, citing data from IHS Automotive.

Ford sold 489,616 units of the Focus in the January to June period, compared with 462,187 Corollas, Ford Motor Co. said in a statement today, citing data from IHS Automotive. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg