Lincoln deliveries nearly triple in first 9 months

Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln luxury brand sold 20,996 vehicles in China in the first nine months of the year, soaring 191 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Lincoln discloses China sales quarterly. The brand said it delivered 8,545 vehicles from July through September.

Lincoln deliveries have surged as the brand opens new dealerships and introduces new models.

Lincoln launched sales of its fifth model, the Continental sedan, Monday in Shanghai. The other four models it has introduced after entering China in 2014 are the MKC and MKX crossovers, Navigator SUV and MKZ sedan. All five models are imports.

The company has 54 dealerships in China. It expects to have 65 by year end and 80 in 2018.