The headline above is not a typo. On 19th June 2014, Ford opened 88 dealerships in China over the span of just one day. This must be some kind of a world record!
The June 19 blitz was so important for the carmaker that CEO Alan Mulally, who is set to leave Ford in less than three weeks, flew all the way to China to visit the Shanghai Jiuhua West Dealership.
Three-quarters of the new dealerships are located in the so-called Tier 4 cities – smaller cities with millions of people that are expected to fuel future economic development and vehicle demand. It is operated by its local joint venture, Changan Ford Automobile Co.
As of today, Ford has a total of 750 showrooms in the country with that number expected to hit the 800 mark by the end of this year.
“With the growth momentum we have going right now, we expect to exceed 800 dealer points in China by the end of 2014,” said Marin Burela, president and CEO of Changan Ford.
