1971 Lincoln Continental Mark Iii 7.5l on 2040-cars

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Ford's China sales keep falling, down 30% in third quarter

BEIJING — Ford's July-to-September vehicle sales in China fell 30%, as the U.S. automaker continued to lose ground in a prolonged sales decline in its second biggest market. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker delivered 131,060 vehicles in China in the third quarter, Ford said in a statement. Ford's sales in China fell 35.8% in the first quarter and by 21.7% in the second quarter. In the third quarter, sales of the automaker's mass-market Ford brand fell 37.7%, while its luxury division Lincoln saw sales drop by 24.1%. It delivered around 421,000 vehicles in the first nine months of the year, according to Reuters calculations. Ford has been struggling to revive sales in China after its business began slumping in late 2017. Sales sank 37 percent in 2018, after a 6 percent decline in 2017. The automaker plans to launch more than 30 new models in China over the next three years, of which more than a third will be electric vehicles. It also said it would localize management teams by hiring more Chinese staff and aimed to improve relationships with joint venture partners. Ford has launched a series of new models in the third quarter in China, including Focus, Edge, and the electric Territory. In China, Ford makes cars through its joint venture with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co and Jiangling Motors. It has said it would partner with Zotye Automobile Co to sell lower-priced cars, but there seems to have been little progress. In a series of moves, Ford named a new president for its main local venture, Changan Ford, in August and said it would enhance its partnership with Changan through research, production and marketing cooperation in September. Ford is also planning to revamp some of its existing manufacturing facilities with Changan to localize production of its premium brand Lincoln. Changan Ford's sales down by around 33.5% in the third quarter, according to Reuters calculations based on Changan's filings. Ford rival General Motors' July-to-September vehicle sales in China fell 17.5%, to 689,531 vehicles. As GM and Ford China sales extend declines, U.S. car companies' market share of total China passenger vehicle sales fell to 9.5% in the first eight months of this year, from 10.7% in the year-ago period, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). Over the same period, German carmakers' share has risen to 23.8% from 21.6%, and Japanese automakers' share rose to 21.7% from 18.3%.

Ford hybrid sales rebound following MPG controversy

Ford hybrid customers apparently have very short memories. With two EPA fuel economy reratings in the last year, sales of the C-Max, Fusion Hybrid and Lincoln MKZ haven't been too terribly dented, Ward's Auto reports.
All three vehicles saw sales dips following the August 2013 rerating, although sales of the MKZ Hybrid had begun to rebound as early as November of that year. C-Max sales, meanwhile, took slightly longer, with sales on a steadily improving course as early as February of this year.
The second rerating, in June of this year, has had an even smaller effect on the Blue Oval's hybrids. The C-Max has actually been subject to a sales increase, while both the MKZ and Fusion saw minor sales drops (less than 400 units between the two in the month following the rerating).

Lincoln Aviator to return as a concept in New York

The keen Canadian eyes at Autoguide spotted on Lincoln Canada's Twitter feed that the Lincoln Aviator will be resurrected at the 2018 New York Auto Show in two weeks, albeit in concept car form. Given that today's Continental and Navigator were previewed with thinly veiled concepts, it's therefore safe to assume that we'll eventually see a production Aviator. According to Automotive News back in 2016, Aviator should be a three-row crossover based on the next-generation Explorer. So essentially, it will replace the MKT, which was last seen picking people up at your local airport and essentially nowhere else. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. For those of you who don't recall, this would not be the first Lincoln Aviator. The original sold from 2002 to 2005 was also based on the Ford Explorer, and although relatively well-received by car reviewing types at the time, it never caught on with the buying public. Its failure is still a bit surprising given the similar SUV fever of that era. The resurrection of the Aviator name also coincides with the return of Continental and the introduction of Nautilus, which replaces the MKX. However, have no fear MK enthusiasts, the MKZ and MKC still live on. You can be in charge of letting people know just exactly which cars those are. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.