Ford’s Chinese joint venture with Changan sold 316,139 units in 2009, up 54.5 percent from a year earlier, Reuters reports. In December alone, sales were up 61.4 percent from a year earlier. After GM China reported a 67 percent increase for the year yesterday, all indicators point to a strong finish for the Chinese market. Numbers will be announced by the end of the week. Chinese unit sales are expected to be in the 13.5m neighborhood for the year, up 44 percent.

Elsewhere in Europe, first data releases point to a strong December there also: France up 48.6 percent, Spain up 25.1 percent, Italy up 16.73 percent, Belgium up 21.12 percent.

U.S. auto sales are due today and are expected to come in at around 10.5 – 11m units for the year.

Refer to TTAC’s roundup of 2009 sales data for a continuously updated roundup of 2009 sales data from around the world.

Loss-making Dutch boutique carmaker Spyker (well, Spyker actually stopped making cars, and is outsourcing whatever car production is left to UK’s CPP) is revising – for a third time –  its bid for GM’s loss-making Swedish carmaker Saab. Spyker received a new deadline of January 7^th, Reuters reports. Everything else has already been said.

GM China’s 2009 vehicle sales jumped nearly 67 percent year on year to 1.83m units, Gasgoo says, citing company data. GM and its joint venture ventures in China expanded their market share to an estimated 13.4 percent, up from 12.1 percent by the end of 2008.
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As countries in Europe wind down their cash for clunkers programs, China is increasing the bounty on old cars. China’s Ministry of Commerce said that qualified car owners who trade in outdated or “highly polluted” vehicles will receive a subsidy between US$733 and $2635 this year, up from last year’s maximum $878, reports Shanghai Daily.
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The United Nations UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations is likely to adopt many Japanese safety rules for hybrid and electric vehicles as a global standard, says the Nikkei [sub].

Currently, there are no ECE safety standards for hybrid and electric vehicles. Japan has pushed its domestic safety rules  to be adopted as international standards. Chances for adoption are good, Japanese companies and rulemakers are the pioneers in the field. Europe, which usually dominates ECE rule making, is lagging behind in the development of hybrid and electric vehicles, and doesn’t have much to lose if the Japanese standards are accepted.
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While Tengzhong is still waiting for government approval for its Hummer purchase, Geely can’t complain about a lack of official prop up for its planned purchase of Volvo from Ford. Geely said today to Reuters that they have strong support from the Chinese government, financial and otherwise.
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If you are stuck in Beijing traffic, while police closes the center lane to give preferential treatment to a government motorcade, you will notice a penchant for foreign brands amongst Chinese government officials: White license plates (= government) are usually found on bigger bore Audis, BMWs, and Mercedeses (or “Benz” as they are called in China.) After all, they are made in China in joint ventures, and only petty people will point out that an Audi A8, a Volkswagen Touareg, or a Benz S Class are imports.

The tastes are about to change, albeit not too drastically.
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Nissan Motor Co. failed to declare some $700m in income with the Japanese tax-san during a three-year period through March 2007, the Nikkei [sub] reports today.

The Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau has sent Nissan an order to pay back taxes, including unspecified billions of Yen in penalties. Nissan has appealed.
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To have a chance of succeeding with its Opel turnaround, GM needs two things: Financial support from the European governments to the tune of €2.6b. And concessions by Opel workers worth €265m a year.  GM itself doesn’t have more than $600m to contribute. Not the best bargaining position.

Chances of government support are getting slimmer as time goes on. Now, Opel labor representatives flat out refuse any support if GM sticks to its turn-around plan for Opel. It is “totally unacceptable” said Opel labor leader Klaus Franz. “A reduction of 9,000 jobs in Europe is out of the question,” Franz said to the Frankfurter Rundschau.
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And the Hummer mess is marching on: Both Tengzhong and SAIC deny reports in the Chinese press that they are planning to cooperate in the production of the Hummer SUV in China. A lot of sense it would make:
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Wondered what BAIC will do with the used tooling and blueprints it has bought from Saab at the fire sale price of only $200m? BAIC has big plans, and big pockets.

Xu Heyi, chairman of BAIC group, told China Daily that the company will spend some $5b over the next three years to develop three to four passenger car models and two to three turbocharged engines based on the acquired Saab technology.

BAIC will revive their “Beijing” brand which was born in 1958, but abandoned soon thereafter. Beijing’s initial lineup will include a mid-sized hatchback, a notchback, a compact hatchback and a CUV. The cars will be made at 150,000 unit plant in Beijing. Construction will start in February.
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When news came out that GM would sell a critical 1 percent of their Chinese joint venture to SAIC (now owner of a 51 percent majority,) and that GM would sell half of their Indian operation to SAIC, rumors swirled that GM would sell-out their future in the world’s only remaining growth markets to raise cash for Opel. It doesn’t seem that way. GM is mortgaging their future at the pawn shop for pocket change. A whacko report even claims that GM is already under Chinese control …
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Russia’s Sberbank isn’t the only party that is unhappy with GM and wants to see money.

Germany’s government wants GM to put “a lot of money” on the table before any further discussions about European state aid for Opel would be entertained, reports Germany’s Handelsblatt.

Note that the harsh comments are coming from Roland Koch, Premier of Opel’s home state Hesse. Previously, Koch had been a vociferous proponent of state support for Opel. Not more.
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Starting January 1, 2010, Chinese buyers will get the rare chance to buy a genuine, Made-in-München (or Regensburg) BMW 3 Series at the price of a Made-in-Shenyang BMW 3 Series, while the Chinese BMW/Brilliance joint venture updates its production facilities.

BMW Brilliance will import BMW 3 Series in large quantities starting January 1, 2010. The BMW venture in China will stop manufacturing the series temporarily to upgrade its production line, Gasgoo reports.
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These days, no Christmas cheer is complete without a little Opel jeer. Russia’s Sberbank has demanded compensation from GM for reneging on the Opel deal, Sberbank CEO German Gref said in an interview on Russia’s Vesti television channel. Groveled a grouchy Gref:
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