GM and Ford post strong sales in China for 2011

General Motors (GM.NYSE) and Ford Motor (F.NYSE) posted record sales in China during 2011, outpacing the combined sales of Japan's Toyota Motor (7203.TYO) and Honda Motor (7267.TYO), Bloomberg reported. The Detroit-based GM said it sold 2.55 million vehicles in China last year, up 8.3% year-on-year. Ford said its China sales increased 7% to 519,390 units. Japan’s biggest carmaker, Toyota, reported sales up 4% to 883,000 vehicles - its slowest pace since 2004. Honda Motor posted sales down 4.5% to 617,764 units, the company's first annual decline in China. GM sold an average one car or truck every 12 seconds  in China last year as it began a five-year rollout of over 60 new and upgraded models in the country. “It’s clear that Detroit is undergoing resurgence even as the Japanese automakers grapple with a terrible 2011. In China, GM and Ford have been fairly aggressive with new models,” said Ashvin Chotai, managing director for Intelligence Automotive Asia.