????經過緩慢的增長，福特公司（Ford）終于在中國站穩腳跟。艾倫?穆拉利擔任公司CEO之后收獲了多項成就，而這就是其中之一。

????今年到目前為止，這家公司在中國的銷量已經達到647,849輛，年比增長達到了驚人的51%。五年前，福特在中國的年銷量僅有250,000輛，外界普遍認為它在中國毫無希望。但過去幾個月，它的銷量直逼年銷售100萬輛的規模。

????2006年，穆拉利離開波音（Boeing）來到福特。當時，福特公司在多個一線市場都缺乏核心領導人物，包括亞洲市場。小比爾?福特將公司交給穆拉利，2009年，穆拉利派了一只由韓瑞麒領導的新團隊來到中國。目前，韓瑞麒負責西半球業務。福特表示，公司投入了49億美元，用于提高汽車產量，擴大產能。

????波士頓咨詢集團（Boston Consulting Group）駐北京汽車咨詢合伙人賀馬克說：“福特在中國市場正在穩步增長。”賀馬克表示，福特翼虎（Escape）緊湊型SUV已經成為大眾（Volkwagen）暢銷車途觀（Tiguan）的替代車型，極受歡迎。大眾是中國汽車市場的領導者。

????福特中國發言人何川表示，福特在中國的暢銷車型是緊湊車型福克斯(Focus)。

????上周，穆拉利視察了福特的亞洲業務。穆拉利計劃在亞洲地區推廣Transit Connect小型車，進軍出租車市場。【有報道稱68歲的穆拉利正在考慮離開福特前往微軟公司（Microsoft）擔任首席執行官，對此穆拉利在亞洲視察期間并未予以回復。】

????目前，香港約有18,000輛出租車，幾乎全部為豐田（Toyota），很少一部分為日產（Nissan）車型。Transit Connect需要首先獲得香港政府當局的批準，之后出租汽車公司才會考慮引進這個車型。

????上周四，福特公司公布，第三季度凈收入達到了12.7億美元或每股31美分，收入增長了12%，達到了360億美元。促成這一結果的因素包括歐洲損失減少（這個問題一直是福特的麻煩所在），亞非市場（包括中國在內）利潤達到1.26億美元，同比增長了三倍。

????穆拉利上任第一年年底，福特在中國的市場份額約為2%。目前已經達到4%，而且中國汽車市場總體仍在持續增長。福特的目標是截至2015年占領6%的份額。

????關于福特打入中國市場，歷史上曾有過與此相關的一件事，如今看來多少有些諷刺意味。早在1924年，當時中國第一任總統孫中山先生曾寫信給亨利?福特，邀請他將他的工業帝國帶到中國。福特辦公室的一位助手回信稱，這位汽車公司創始人并沒有打算去中國的計劃。

????歐美汽車市場要想實現快速增長幾乎不太可能，因此，對于福特和其他全球性汽車公司而言,世界其他地區，尤其是中國擁有巨大的短期潛力。福特這次快速轉身，總算是趕上了一個大好機會。（財富中文網）

????譯者：劉進龍/汪皓?

????After a slow start, Ford (F) has finally found its footing in China. Alan Mulally ought to count such a feat among his signal achievements as CEO at the auto giant.

????Sales so far this year have reached 647,849, an eye-popping 51% higher than a year ago. Just five years ago, Ford was barely selling 250,000 vehicles a year and thought to be hopelessly behind. The last few months have been trending toward an annual sales rate of 1 million vehicles.

????In 2006, when Mulally arrived at Ford from Boeing (BA), the automaker was rudderless on many fronts, including Asia. Bill Ford Jr. turned over the reins to Mulally, who sent a new team to China in 2009 led by Joe Hinrichs. Hinrichs now leads Ford's operations in the western hemisphere. Ford has said it is spending $4.9 billion to increase the number of cars and double production capacity.

????"Ford is definitely on the move in China," says Marco Gerrits, an automotive consulting partner with Boston Consulting Group's Beijing office. Gerrits noted that Ford's Escape compact SUV has become a hip alternative to Tiguan, Volkwagen's big seller there. VW is the market leader in China.

????Ford's top seller in China is Focus, a compact car the Chinese pronounce "FO-kuh-suh," according to Trevor Hale, a Ford spokesman there.

????Mulally has been touring Ford's operations in Asia for the past week. He was in the region to promote the introduction of the automaker's Transit Connect small van, which may be outfitted as a taxi. (During his Asian tour, Mulally, 68, brushed off questions about reports that he is considering leaving Ford to become chief executive officer at Microsoft.)

????Hong Kong currently has about 18,000 taxis, virtually all of them Toyotas (TM), with a sprinkling of Nissans. The Transit Connect will need approval from Hong Kong authorities before taxi operators can even consider them.

????On Thursday, Ford posted strong third-quarter net income of $1.27 billion or 31 cents a share on 12% higher revenue of $36 billion. Factored into the results were narrowed losses in Europe, a trouble spot for Ford, and $126 million in profit from Asian/Africa, which includes, China -- nearly triple the level of a year ago.

????Ford's market share in China at the end of Mulally's first year on the job was 2%. It's now approaching 4%, even as China's overall auto market continues to grow. Ford aims to have a 6% share of the Chinese auto market by 2015.

????There's a hint of historical irony in Ford's push in China. Back in 1924, Sun Yat-sen, China's first president, wrote to Henry Ford inviting him to bring his industrial empire to the country. An assistant in Ford's office wrote back, indicating that the automaker's founder had no plans to visit.

????With the possibility of rapid auto market growth in Europe and the U.S. just about impossible, the rest of the world, and particularly China, holds lots of near-term potential for Ford and other global automakers. In Ford's case, the company has swiftly turned around what could have been a blown opportunity.