Ford Sales Plunge 32% in China

Ford Motor Co. reports that its new-car sales in China, which dropped 38% in June, fell 32% in July to 57,700 units.

The company’s sales through the first seven months of 2018 slumped 26% to 458,100 units. Sales for the period by its Changan Ford Automotive and Jiangling Motor joint ventures fell 43% and 5%, respectively.

One bright spot: Ford says its Lincoln luxury brand saw volume rise 2% to 4,500 units last month. Lincoln sales through the first half of the year totaled 28,800 units, up 4%.

Jim Farley, Ford’s president of global markets, conceded last month that there are “serious shortfalls” in the company’s product lineup in China. Ford aims to refresh or replace 60% of its offerings there by the end of 2019, a move that includes the debut of a China-specific midsize Territory crossover vehicle.