SHANGHAI, Jan 23 (Reuters) - FAW Car Co, a unit of one of China's three largest auto makers, said on Friday its 2008 net profit rose 90 to 120 percent to 1.05 billion-1.20 billion yuan ($153.6-175.5 million), boosted by expanded sales and production.

 

The rise, based on preliminary, unaudited results, compared with an estimated sharp drop in net profit at Chongqing Changan Auto Co, Ford Motor (nyse: F - news - people )'s main Chinese partner, to 38.93 million yuan in 2008 from 666.89 million yuan a year earlier, also based on preliminary, unaudited results.

 

The companies will issue final results for 2008 in coming weeks.

 

The results at FAW, which makes Mazda (other-otc: MZDAF.PK - news - people ) Motor's mid-sized Mazda 6 sedans and whose parent company is a partner of Volkswagen AG (other-otc: VLKAF.PK - news - people ) and Toyota Motor (nyse: TM - news - people ), also contrasted with an estimated profit slump of more than 50 percent at SAIC (nyse: SAI - news - people ) Motor, China's largest automaker.

 

Sales in China's car market, the world's second-largest, have slowed sharply in recent months as the global recession casts a chill over the domestic economy.