BEIJING (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is bringing its Lincoln luxury brand to China.
CEO Alan Mulally said Tuesday that Ford will start selling Lincolns in China in the second half of 2014.
The announcement was a surprise from Ford, which previously said it wanted to re-establish the struggling brand's reputation in North America before taking it abroad.
Lincoln was the best-selling luxury brand in the U.S. two decades ago, but gradually fell to last place because Ford failed to invest in new products.
Ford is just beginning a revamp of Lincoln's lineup with the new MKZ sedan, which will go on sale in the U.S. this fall. The MKZ is the first of seven new Lincolns due out by 2015.
The company plans to start meeting with Chinese dealers this fall.