Lincoln, with locally built models, extends sales rally

Sales at Lincoln grew for the fifth-straight month in September on demand for the brand’s first two locally produced models. 

China deliveries at Ford Motor Co.’s luxury brand surged 75 percent to a monthly record of more than 7,300, Lincoln said this week via its local social media channels. 

Volume was mainly generated by the Corsair and Aviator crossovers assembled at Ford’s joint venture with state-owned automaker Changan Automobile Co.

In September, sales of the Corsair, which went on sale in March with a starting price of 246,800 yuan ($36,348), exceeded 4,000. 

Deliveries of the Aviator, which went on sale in July starting at 509,800 yuan, surpassed 1,400 in the month.

Lincoln didn’t disclose China sales of imported products in September or year to date. 

The next Lincoln model to be built in China will be the Nautilus crossover, according to documents Ford submitted this year to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which regulates industrial sectors.

While enabling a foreign automaker to avoid paying China’s 15 percent tariffs on imported vehicles, local production also allows companies to modify vehicle exteriors and interiors to local tastes.

Lincoln started selling imported vehicles in China in 2015. In 2019, its local sales dropped nearly 16 percent to 46,629, according to Ford China.