AKIPRESS.COM - For the second year in a row, Ford has claimed the title of selling world's most popular car, CNBC reported.

The Focus, which has become a big hit in China, was the world's best-selling car in 2013 according to Ford's analysis of registration data compiled by Polk, a division of IHS Automotive.

Last year, Ford sold 1,097,618 Focus models around the world, an 8.1 percent on-year increase. Thus, Ford sold more than two Focus cars every minute of every day last year.

The Focus has become the top selling car in the world over the last two years due to explosive demand in China. Last year, Focus sales in China increased by 50 percent to total 403,219.

Ford's monthly sales in China topped 100,000 for the first time in March.

Ford's worldwide success with the Focus is validation of the blueprint CEO Alan Mulally created for the revival of the automaker when he took over the company eight years ago.

At the time, Ford had 27 different vehicle platforms around the world building 6.8 million vehicles. Under Mulally, Ford has consolidated the number of platforms down to 15 with annual sales totaling 6.3 million.

Last year, Ford posted a pre-tax profit of $8.6 billion.

The Focus is built in eight plants around the world located in Germany, the United States, Russia, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and Argentina.