Ford China sales up

Ford Motor Co.'s retail sales in China of its wholly owned brands rose 29 percent in the first seven months of the year, the company said on Tuesday, beating 23.73 percent growth in the overall market. Sales of Ford, Lincoln, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover brand vehicles came to 94,064 units in the first seven months, Ford said in a statement. To help drive vehicle sales in the world's second-largest auto market, global giants such as Volkswagen, General Motors and Ford have been offering loans to lure buyers. From January to July, Ford's auto financing unit in the country offered 5,200 car loans and the number could top 10,000 for the full year, the company said.