HONG KONG (AP) -- Chinese car maker Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. said its 2006 net profit soared 88 percent, on strong car sales in China and stable raw material prices.

The Hong Kong-listed company's net profit for the year ended Dec. 31 was HK$208.75 million (US$26.71 million), up from HK$110.83 million in 2005, it said late Wednesday.

Revenue rose to HK$127 million (US$16.25 million), from HK$101.41 million.

Geely Auto is a unit of China's largest privately-owned auto maker by sales, Geely Group Ltd. It makes and sells cars through its two mainland affiliates, Zhejiang Geely Automobile Co. and Shanghai Maple Guorun Automobile Co.

The two companies sold a combined 175,635 cars during the year, up 32 percent from the previous year. Total car sales, however, were below the 180,000 target Geely set earlier.

Zhejiang Geely and Shanghai Maple are each 46.8 percent-owned by Geely.

This year, Geely said it aims to sell 240,000 cars under the Geely and Maple brands.

In the first quarter of 2007, the company sold 51,135 cars, up 5.6 percent from a year earlier, and equivalent to 21 percent of its annual sales target.

Geely Auto recommended a final dividend of 1 HK cent, the same as in the year-earlier period.