Ford Focus was best-selling nameplate in the world for the first half of 2012 with 489,616 units

The Ford Focus was the world’s best-selling single car nameplate in the first half of 2012,according to figures from IHS Automotive, cited by Ford. According to IHS, the Ford Focus sold 489,616 units in the first half of this year; the nearest competitor, Toyota Corolla, sold 462,187. For that period, US sales accounted for 131,423 units (28.4%), and Eurowide sales for 136,800 units (30%).

Ford Motor is also celebrating the production of the company’s 350 millionth vehicle—a Ford Focus.

Ford celebrated the production milestone at its newest global manufacturing facility located in Rayong, Thailand, approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) southeast of Bangkok. Ford Thailand Manufacturing (FTM) plant is a $450-million facility, opened in May to produce the new Focus, which also is built in four other countries. FTM represents the latest in Ford’s global manufacturing capabilities, with new stamping presses, flexible body shops and robotic capabilities that enable it to produce up to six different vehicles simultaneously.

As part of the One Ford plan, the company is executing a One Manufacturing plan for lean, flexible production. It includes standardizing best practices, increasing production in growing markets and accelerating new vehicle introductions on fewer global platforms. By next year, Ford will build more than 85% of vehicle volume off nine core platforms.

Asia Pacific is leading the way for growth as part of Ford’s One Ford plan to serve customers in all markets. With $6.7 billion invested in the region since 2006, Ford is investing heavily and expanding aggressively to meet the needs of consumers here, who are expected to generate 60 percent of the industry’s future growth through 2020.

Ford’s key investments and growth initiatives in Asia Pacific Africa include:

• Launching nine new plants—six in China, two in India and one in Thailand—with the capacity to produce 2.9 million vehicles by mid-decade.
• Bringing more than 50 new vehicles and powertrains to market by mid-decade, including 15 vehicles to China by 2015, eight vehicles to India by 2015, eight vehicles to ASEAN and four vehicles to Taiwan.
• Having 95% of the region’s volume on global platforms by mid-decade.
• Doubling the number of dealerships in the region by mid-decade.