SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (>> Ford Motor Company) and its Chinese joint ventures sold 77,506 vehicles in China in August, up 9 percent from a year earlier, outpacing industry growth of 6.7 percent for the same month in the world's biggest auto market.

That follows a 25 percent year-on-year rise in July and a 17 percent increase in June.

Ford's sales in the first eight months of the year totalled 717,537 vehicles, up 30 percent from the same period a year earlier, the U.S. carmaker said on Friday.

Ford's China sales have been bolstered by strong growth in SUV models, the Ford Kuga and Ford EcoSport.

Ford plans to launch its premium Lincoln brand in China later this year, with plans to open eight Lincoln retail outlets in seven Chinese cities starting in October.

Ford makes vehicles in China in partnership with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co Ltd (>> Chongqing Changan Automobile Company Ltd) and Jiangling Motors Corp Ltd (>> Jiangling Motors Corporation, Ltd.).

(Reporting By Samuel Shen and Adam Jourdan; Editing by Paul Tait)